CHANDIGARH: Around four months after banning all mining activities, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday allowed auction of 25 quarries in various districts of Punjab.
While permitting the state to initiate the process of auctioning the mining quarries under a close and strict monitoring mechanism, the court of Justice Rajive Bhalla observed that the system of issuing manual slips for lifting minerals from the quarries was being misused.
The court also issued directions to instal weighing machines at the quarries to keep a tab on each vehicle's weight to prevent contractors from extracting material in addition to the prescribed limit by over-digging and thereby harming the ecology.
In August this year, the HC had imposed complete and immediate ban on mining in the state without environmental clearance in operational quarries of up to five hectares in the state.
The court also directed that environment impact assessment committee would grant permission in each case so that there was no ecological degradation. The HC has also told the trial courts to avoid releasing vehicles and equipment used for illegal mining.
The division bench also made it clear that the HC's endeavour was only to ensure the undertaking of mining after obtaining requisite permission and following the rules, which was not being done.
Justice Bhalla was miffed over the recent statements made by the state governments that rates of building material have reached all time high because of stay on mining by the Punjab and Haryana high court.
HC allows auction of 25 quarries in Punjab
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HC allows auction of 25 quarries in Punjab
