The Uttarakhand High Court has taken proactive measures by appointing two advocates as court commissioners to investigate the cause of cracks appearing in several houses in Bageshwar district, allegedly due to soapstone mining activities. This decision came after the court took suo-motu cognizance of media reports highlighting the damage in villages of Kanda tehsil.
The division bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit, tasked advocates Mayank Joshi and Sharanya Dhulia with submitting a detailed report on the situation. The court aims to better understand the impact of mining on the local community and the structural integrity of their homes.
In addition to appointing court commissioners, the bench has involved key environmental and mining authorities by making the Divisional Forest Officer of Bageshwar, the State Environment Protection Authority, and the District Mining Officer respondents in the case. These officials are required to file their responses regarding the allegations and their oversight of mining regulations.
Local advocate Dushyant Mainali, assisting in the case, emphasized the need for a thorough investigation to confirm that all mining operations in the region comply with environmental protection standards. According to Mainali, residents of Kande-Kanyaal village have voiced concerns that government officials are not fully aware of the distress caused by the mining-induced damages.
The issue of cracks in residential structures has been a persistent problem in the region, with the situation worsening during the last monsoon season. The court’s intervention follows similar incidents in Joshimath, approximately 190 km from Bageshwar, where extensive land subsidence in early 2023 led to significant evacuations and national concern.
