The Uttarakhand High Court has recently taken a stern stance on environmental concerns related to soapstone mining, directing the chairman of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to personally appear before the court.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra issued the order while hearing a PIL highlighting structural damage to homes in Kanda tehsil’s villages allegedly caused by mining activities.
The court has specifically demanded details of measures implemented to mitigate environmental damage and protect local communities from the harmful effects of soapstone extraction.
This development comes amid growing concerns about the ecological impact of unchecked mining operations in the Himalayan state.
Judicial Intervention
The next hearing scheduled for June 30 as court seeks immediate accountability.
The judicial intervention follows complaints from residents of several villages in Bageshwar district’s Kanda tehsil, where cracks have reportedly appeared in residential structures potentially linked to mining operations.
The court’s decision to summon the SEIAA chairman underscores the urgency of addressing these environmental and safety concerns.
With the matter set for further hearing on June 30, all eyes are now on the state environmental authority to demonstrate what concrete steps have been taken to balance industrial activity with ecological preservation and community welfare in this sensitive Himalayan region.
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