National Green Tribunal
News Item Titled "Mining Mafia Brings ... vs . Ankita Sinha & Ors." Reported In 2021 on 22 January, 2025
Item No. 01 Court No. 1
BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI
Original Application No. 06/2025
News Item titled "Mining mafia brings down another Aravalli hill" appearing
in The Tribune dated 21.12.2024.
Date of hearing: 22.01.2025
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE PRAKASH SHRIVASTAVA, CHAIRPERSON
HON'BLE DR. AFROZ AHMAD, EXPERT MEMBER
ORDER
1. This Original Application is registered suo-motu on the basis of the news item titled "Mining mafia brings down another Aravalli hill" appearing in The Tribune dated 21.12.2024.
2. The matter relates to the rampant illegal mining and blast of a hillock of the protected Aravalli range on the Haryana-Rajasthan border, making it collapse entirely within a few hours. The incident mentioned in the article reportedly occurred at Rava village in Nuh, but the Haryana mining authorities continued to claim that it happened in neighboring Rajasthan. The article alleges that mafia's modus operandi is to conduct a blast on the Rajasthan side, where mining is legal to some extent, and eat into the hills of Haryana.
3. A 2023 study by Rajasthan, cited in the article, revealed that between 1975 and 2019, nearly 8% of the Aravalli hills had disappeared. It projected the loss at 22 per cent by 2059 if the "explosive urbanisation"
and illegal mining continued. Over 8 crore metric tonnes worth of mining material spread across hills in Naharika, Chittora and Rava villages of Nuh had vanished. This is the fourth incident in less than a year when mining mafia blasted a hillock in the protected Aravallis on the Haryana-Rajasthan border.
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4. As per the article roads are made for dumpers through forests, blasting of hills is done every weekend, and illegal mining is occurring in around 30 villages across Haryana Rajasthan Border and no action is still taken.
5. The above news item indicates violation of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and The Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
6. The news item raises substantial issues relating to compliance of the environmental norms and implementation of the provisions of scheduled enactment.
7. The power of the Tribunal to take up the matter suo-motu has been recognized by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the matter of "Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors." reported in 2021 SCC Online SC 897.
8. Hence, we implead following as respondents in this matter:
(i) Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), Through its Member Secretary, C-11, Sector-6, Panchkula, Haryana -
134109
(ii) Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB), Through its Member Secretary, 4, Jhalana Institutional Area, Jhalana Doongri, Jaipur- 302004
(iii) Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Address: Parivesh Bhawan, East Arjun Nagar, Delhi - 110032
(iv) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) - Regional Office, Jaipur, A-209&218, 'Aranya Bhawan', Mahatma Gandhi Road, Jhalana Institutional Area, Jaipur (Raj.) - 304002
(v) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) - Regional Office, Chandigarh, Bays No. 24-25, Sector 31 A, Dakshin Marg, Chandigarh - 160030 2
(vi) District Magistrate (Bharatpur), 6G64+VQW, Krishna Nagar, Bharatpur, Rajasthan 321001
(vii) District Magistrate (Nuh), Second Floor, Mini Secretariat Nuh 122107
9. Issue notice to the above respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit at least one week before the next hearing date through e-filing. If any respondent directly files the response/reply without routing it through his advocate, then the said respondent will remain virtually present to assist the Tribunal.
10. List on 05.05.2025.
Prakash Shrivastava, CP Dr. Afroz Ahmad, EM January 22, 2025 Original Application No. 06/2025 AS..
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