The Uttarakhand High Court has summoned the chairman of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to personally appear before it and explain the measures taken to mitigate environmental damage and adverse effects caused by rampant soapstone mining in Bageshwar district.
The directive was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice G. Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the deteriorating environmental conditions in Kanda tehsil, where locals have reported the emergence of cracks in houses due to intensive mining activity.
The PIL also drew attention to a letter sent to the Chief Justice by the residents of Kanda, alleging that illegal soapstone mining operations have devastated their farmlands, damaged homes, and disrupted water pipelines. According to the plea, heavy machinery is routinely used across 147 mines in the region, exacerbating the environmental and structural damage to nearby villages.
Earlier, the High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the villagers’ letter and imposed a stay on all soapstone mining in the area. The court had also ordered that the pits created by mining operations be filled and granted permission for auctioning already-extracted soapstone deposits.
In compliance with the court’s previous directions, the District Mining Officer had informed the bench that the Uttarakhand Groundwater Authority had been entrusted with the responsibility of filling the mining pits. However, the petitioner countered this claim by asserting that no such authority has yet been constituted.
In response to the conflicting submissions, the court modified its order, stating that the pit-filling operation will now be carried out jointly by the District Mining Officer and a groundwater expert nominated by the Secretary of Irrigation. The exercise will be conducted under the supervision of the Central Ground Water Board and the Geological Survey of India.
The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on June 30.
