The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a directive to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and other relevant bodies to respond to allegations of unchecked mining activities in Bageshwar district, Uttarakhand. This initiative follows concerns that such activities could precipitate a disaster similar to the one in Joshimath, where extensive damage to infrastructure, including homes, temples, and roads, was reported due to subsidence.
Acting on its own motion based on a media report, the NGT highlighted the absence of necessary safety audits and expert geological assessments in the region, despite repeated complaints from local residents about the mining. The tribunal, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad, expressed significant concerns regarding the adherence to environmental norms in the area.
The respondents in this case, including the Dehradun regional office of the MoEF&CC, the district magistrate of Bageshwar, the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, and the Central Pollution Control Board, have been ordered to submit their responses via affidavit. They are required to do so at least one week prior to the next hearing scheduled for December 11.
In an unusual procedural note, the NGT stated that any respondent who chooses to file a reply directly without legal representation must be virtually present during the tribunal proceedings to assist in the matter personally.
