In a significant environmental and legal ruling, the Uttarakhand High Court has imposed a ban on the use of heavy machinery for mining activities in the Suswa and Song rivers located in Dehradun district. The decision, which came out on Thursday, was part of the court’s response to a public interest litigation (PIL).
The bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Vivek Bharti Sharma, specified that while heavy machinery mining is prohibited, manual mining can continue under current regulations. This directive aims to balance environmental protection with local livelihoods, which rely on traditional mining methods.
The PIL, initiated by Dehradun resident Virender Kumar, presented concerns about the ecological and social impact of mechanical mining. The petitioner highlighted that such activities not only reduced water levels in the rivers but also caused damage to adjacent agricultural lands and diminished water availability for irrigation. Furthermore, the use of heavy machines had displaced local workers who depended on manual mining for their income.
In defense, the state government argued that the authorization for mechanical mining was granted to address the accumulation of silt, sludge, and boulders in the riverbeds—obstructions that typically worsen during the monsoon season and can alter the natural flow of the rivers.
