NGT Orders Prayagraj & Kaushambi District Magistrates To Take Action Against Illegal Sand Mining In Yamuna

The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Principal Bench on Monday ordered the District Magistrates of Prayagraj and Kaushambi districts in Uttar Pradesh to take action against alleged illegal mining in the Yamuna riverbed.

The bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel (Chairperson), Justice Sudhir Agarwal (Judicial Member), and Dr. A. Senthil Vel (Expert Member) stated, “In the absence of individual violators being parties, we believe that the appropriate course will be to direct the District Magistrates, Prayagraj and Kaushambi to look into the matter and take action as per law in light of previous Tribunal directions.”

The Tribunal was hearing the application filed raising grievances against unlawful sand mining in the Yamuna riverbed and within the stream of Yamuna at Prayagraj and Kaushambi districts of Uttar Pradesh.

According to the application, mining is taking place with the help of heavy machines and utilizing more than one thousand boats at various places, including Pahuwa, Pratappur, Nevadiya, Amiliya, Masiyari, Fulwa, Bisona, Asrawal, Manpur, Bhampur, Mishrpur, Nagawar, Gadispur, Bhikhana, Bebar, Palpur, Vidyapeeth, Majhiyari, Baswar, Bhilor, Nanda Ka Purva, Saidpur, and others.

Although approval is limited for 125 vehicles, 400-500 overloaded trucks per day are travelling day and night.

The applicant emphasized that the Tribunal has already taken up this subject in Atul Singh Chauhan vs. Ministry of Environment and Forests & Climate Change & Ors., which was disposed of in accordance with the Oversight Committee’s recommendations in a decision dated 18.03.2021.

The applicant claims that the infractions continue despite the Tribunal’s orders.

In reviewing the matter, the NGT concluded that, in the lack of individual violators, the best line of action would be to direct the District Magistrates of Prayagraj and Kaushambi to investigate the matter and take appropriate action in light of previous Tribunal directions.

As a result, the application was disposed of.