Apex court issues notice to Rajasthan on illegal mining

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to the Rajasthan government on a petition alleging that despite a ban, illegal mining was continuing in the state's Alwar district.

An apex court vacation bench of Justice S. Radhakrishnan and Justice J.S. Khehar issued notice on the petition of NGO Society for Awareness and Development, which said that despite the 2005 and 2010 bans, illegal mining was going on unabated in 11 villages of Tijara and Bhiwari tehsils of Alwar district.

The NGO said that illegal mining was going on as the state authorities had turned a blind eye to this, adding that the mining resulted in the death of labourers.

It referred to a May 18 newspaper report which said that 10 labourers were trapped under debris during illegal mining in Alwar's Choharpur village.

The court has directed the matter be posted before the forest bench after the summer vacation.

The NGO said that illegal mining was not only depleting the forest cover but also eroding the Aravali Range.

The NGO drew the attention of the court to the report of the central empowered committee on environment matters which pointed to massive illegal mining in reserved forest areas in Udhanwas village.