National Green Tribunal (NGT) lifted ban from sand mining on Monday and also held that environment clearance of panchayat will be valid for the mining.
The decision comes as a huge relief to the real estate sector giving them 15 days breather as the sand mining is annually prohibited during rainy season.
As per guidelines of union ministry of forest and environment, sand mining is prohibited from June 15 to October 1 during rainy season.
Allowing the sand mining will give boost to real estate sector, which being one of the biggest employment generators will utilize the services of lakhs of labourers who have returned homes leaving their work in other state in wake of the corona-enforced lockdown.
The NGT set aside its May 11 order in which it had permitted only those groups of contractors who had submitted SEA clearance (Environment clearance) for sand mining. Now, as per the new order environment clearance of panchayat, will be valid for sand mining.
The tribunal order states that fresh environment clearance would be is needed in case of business expansion. Advocate Om Shankar Shrivastava said, “Fresh Environmental Clearance is needed only in case where there is business expansion otherwise, environmental clearance of panchayat, is valid for sand mining.
Earlier, only six group of contractor, who could get the environment clearance, out of 38 contractors, were permitted for excavation of sand but till May 11.
In 2019, state government had called tenders in 43 districts for sand mining.
in Ujjain, Agar Malwa, no one came for bidding, while in Hoshansangabad, Ashok Nagar and Mandla, 50 per cent contactors did not deposit money so their tenders were automatically cancelled.
Finally, government had issued order for group of contractors in six districts--Bhind, Sehore, Katni, Harda, Singrauli, and Shivpuri after they submitted no objection certificates and SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment). Other had submitted panchayat permission for sand mining. But NGT had suspended all such permission on May 11.
