Rural folk stall sand mining
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MUMBAI:
Villagers of Mahad, armed with the latest order of the National Green
Tribunal (NGT), successfully stalled an auction for sand mining
permissions on Friday.
A week ago, the NGT had issued an order calling for a halt or ban on all sand mining in areas that fall within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The order particularly mentioned Navi Mumbai and the coastal districts of Thane, Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg.
The order was in response to a petition filed by Awaaz Foundation.
The NGT order mentioned an increase in sand mining mafia. The order stated that authorities must refrain from issuing further auction notices, granting licences or permissions for mining sand in areas that fall within the CRZ.
The divisional commissioner (Konkan region) had issued a notice calling for the auction of sand mining permissions in Ratnagiri and Raigad on Friday.
The revenue generated by the government would have run into crores of rupees, said a villager.
The notice was issued on January 29, a week before the NGT order.
"We used the NGT order to issue a contempt of court notice to the commissioner," Naseer Jalal, a villager from Mahad, said. "The sand auction would have gone against CRZ rules as well as the NGT order."
Sumaira Abdulali of Awaaz Foundation also wrote to the divisional commissioner to draw his notice to the NGT order.
"It [sand mining] will affect all aspects of the coastal ecosystem, as it involves the interface between water and land," she said.
A week ago, the NGT had issued an order calling for a halt or ban on all sand mining in areas that fall within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The order particularly mentioned Navi Mumbai and the coastal districts of Thane, Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg.
The order was in response to a petition filed by Awaaz Foundation.
The NGT order mentioned an increase in sand mining mafia. The order stated that authorities must refrain from issuing further auction notices, granting licences or permissions for mining sand in areas that fall within the CRZ.
The divisional commissioner (Konkan region) had issued a notice calling for the auction of sand mining permissions in Ratnagiri and Raigad on Friday.
The revenue generated by the government would have run into crores of rupees, said a villager.
The notice was issued on January 29, a week before the NGT order.
"We used the NGT order to issue a contempt of court notice to the commissioner," Naseer Jalal, a villager from Mahad, said. "The sand auction would have gone against CRZ rules as well as the NGT order."
Sumaira Abdulali of Awaaz Foundation also wrote to the divisional commissioner to draw his notice to the NGT order.
"It [sand mining] will affect all aspects of the coastal ecosystem, as it involves the interface between water and land," she said.
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