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Most of the sand-mining activity in the NCR region, comprising Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Faridabad (Haryana) and Delhi, is illegal as no environment impact assessment (EIA) has been carried out; and it is estimated that about 250 to 350 truckloads of sand is illegally dredged every day. The cost of this sand varies from INR100 crore (US$17 million) per month to INR500 crore (US$85 million) per annum. According to environmentalists, the massive amount of mining is responsible for soil-erosion and changing the natural flow of the Yamuna and Hindon rivers. In Noida, a "Special Mining Squad" was established by the district administration to curb sand mining and was expected to succeed, but high demand of sand for increased construction activity, police inaction and the political nexus with the mafia has ensured that various rules to safeguard the environment are regularly flouted.
After receiving many complaints of dredging in the Yamuna and Hindon rivers banks, the UP Chief Minister’s office in Lucknow asked the GB Nagar district administration to prevent further illegal activity. Ms. Nagpal, the SDM, followed the order in letter and spirit. She oversaw a massive operation to stop illegal sand mining in the district, and used surprise and secrecy to arrest illegal miners and confiscate their machinery.
On 23 July 2013, Ms. Nagpal had said that she would take strict action against unauthorised dredgers which were engaged in illegal mining, which could lead to severe environmental consequences. Since April 2013, the Uttar Pradesh Police had filed 17 FIRs and in 22 cases, the Chief Judicial magistrates had ordered the arrest of illegal sand miners. From April to June 2013, the police had impounded 297 vehicles and machinery used for illegal mining and collected Rs 82,34,000 in fines. Under Ms. Nagpal, a joint operation involving the revenue, police and transport departments was launched and villages of Asgarpur, Nangla Wajidpur, Gulavli, Kambakshpur, Jaganpur Chaproli were monitored.
On 25 July, the government transferred the mining officer of the Gautam Budh Nagar district Ashish Kumar to Bulandshahr. He was assisting Ms. Nagpal in the administrative crackdown. Before being transferred, Kumar survived three attempts on his life, the last one was on 9 February 2013. Ms. Nagpal was also targeted on 26 April 2013, during a visit to the Kasna police station. These attacks were attributed to the sand mafia operating in the district.
On the night of 29 July 2013, the Gautam Buddha Nagar police arrested 15 persons and confiscated 26 vehicles in the district and registered seven cases, some of which were in Dankaur and Greater Noida areas.
Posted on: 06 Aug 2013 01:31 am |
