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| Denial of mining permission in Ravi River: Punjab exploits resources, Jammu suffers | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 1: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has denied permission to Jammu and Kashmir Government for mining in Ravi river due to allegations of overexploitation but same guidelines have failed to check the practice by the stone crushing units operating along the river in Kathua district.
Several districts of Jammu region especially Kathua, Samba and Jammu have been witnessing steep increase in the price of minor mineral products such as sand, bajri, stones beside other products due to limited permission granted in various water bodies.
One such reason for increase is denial of permission of mining in river Ravi by National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT had denied permission for mining lease against the allegations of over-exploitation of river bed along the river in Jammu and Kashmir’s side. “The Ravi river separates Jammu and Kashmir with Punjab in district Kathua and along Kathua’s side permission was denied but along the Punjab side, overexploitation of the river bed has been going on unabated”, locals of Kathua said.
An environmentalist said that it was beyond comprehension as why the same yardstick was not applied to the Punjab government. “It is a welcome step that the NGT had acted against the over-exploitation of Ravi river along Jammu’s side but the overexploitation has not stopped along the Punjab side, where over one hundred stone crushing units have been extracting minerals without any hurdle and have dug-up vast stretches”, the environmentalist said, adding that the NGT’s order has failed to make any difference in the condition of river but it has given Punjab free hand to exploit the river bed.
An official of Geology and Mining department pleading anonymity admitted that Punjab has been overexploiting the resources. “No rule is applicable for the stone crushers of Punjab as they have been openly extracting minerals round the clock. Even their earth movers barged into J&K’s’ side and extract minerals due to no demarcation of the boundary between J&K and Punjab in river Ravi”, the official said, adding that the NGT authorities should look into the matter and get the ban imposed on Punjab’s side also so that over exploitation of river could be stopped.
“If NGT is not able to stop overexploitation by the Punjab side, then permission should be granted to J&K also so that the common masses of Jammu would not suffer on account of hiked price of minor minerals”, the official said. |
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