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States » NorthPosted at: May 5 2025 1:59AM


NGT directs Union or state to reveals regulatory violation in Baddi sand mining

Shimla, May 4(UNI) A bench of National green tribunal has issued fresh direction to Union of India especially Indian Railway and Mining Department of Himachal to reveal how regulatory violation was overlooked in illegal sand mining of Mauza Khol in the industrial town of Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, without obtaining mandatory environmental clearance (EC), .
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has now issued fresh directions to the state mining department and the Union Ministry of Railways following revelations of regulatory violations.
According to Director of Industries, Dr. Yunus the detailed compliance report has been filed by amicus curiae Ritwik Parikh and contractor Gurdyal Singh also submitted an affidavit about the mining permission for mining 49,992 metric tonnes of sand and soil .
According to Amicus Curiae status report tje permission by the railway was in blatant violation of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the EIA Notification, 2006.
The NGT, reaffirming its March 2024 order, has declared the permission void ab initio and has directed the state mining department to submit a time-bound and detailed environmental restoration plan for the damaged site.
The Director of Industries informed the Tribunal that the violator has deposited the environmental penalty of Rs 1.08 crore, as previously ordered. However, the Tribunal noted with concern that no report on the actual remediation of the affected site had been submitted so far. It has now ordered the department to file a comprehensive action plan with a specific timeline to ensure ecological restoration, warning that lack of compliance would attract further action.
The Tribunal has also directed a review of all similar permissions granted in the Baddi sub-division under Rule 33 of the Himachal Pradesh Minor Mineral Rules over the past two financial years. It instructed the mining department to scrutinize whether any other such permissions were issued without the necessary environmental clearances, and to fix accountability where due.
In a significant development, the NGT held the Railways and M/s Singla Construction—who used the illegally mined materials—accountable for failing to ensure compliance with environmental norms.
The Tribunal ordered the Ministry of Railways to audit its material procurement process for the Chandigarh-Baddi project and submit a compliance report. It also directed that future procurement protocols must include verification of valid ECs before using any construction materials, ensuring that such lapses are not repeated. UNI ML SSP
Tags: #NGT directs Union or state to reveals regulatory violation in Baddi sand mining
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