Jammu: Bhushan Parimoo, President Environment Awareness Forum, has termed the recommendations of the committee to look into the violations of High Court’s directions related to mining in the Tawi river in Jammu as a ‘farce and a travesty of justice.’
In a press statement, Mr Parimoo said, “A 4-member Committed headed by O P Bhagat, Director Geology and Mining J&K and comprising R C Kotwal, Director Finance Industries and Commerce Department, Dr Raj Kumar, Incharge Deputy Director Geology and Mining and Romesh Gandotra, Assistant Mining Engineer, which was constituted by the Government vide Order No.15-MNG dated May 4, 2021 to look into the violations of High Court’s directions. Question arise on what scientific basis has been used to recommend mining block in absence hydro logical pattern on the entire route of the river and its catchment area rate and volume of sediments it carries each season any variation and how much.”
“Moreover , the blocks already mined, river bed mauled every badly how far and period the blocks has been replenished, ugly scars are there for decades for all to see and tells the tale, if any, impact assessment of climate change, carried through normal methods, to recheck it with remote sensing data and GIS models data, has not been carried. Strangely the committee has favored on the expected lines in its report for the creation of minor mineral blocks in the River Tawi bed right from Nagrota to Phallian Mandal”, Mr Parimoo added.
The statement further said, “On the justification that it is unable to stop illegal mining due to paucity of the required to check it. As such to bring an end to the illegal mining which the Department admits but not recommended the action taken against the delinquent officer. Recommended legalese illegal mining, by e-tendering. It is a deep route nexus between Geology and Mining Department, mining mafia everybody knows who is who. is still going on even after the imposition of ban due to nexus of mafia with the Geology and Mining Department’s field staff and Police it operated. Recommendation goes contrary to the guide lines Enforcement & Monitoring for Sand Mining Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change January, 2020 which says that the State and degradation of the environment. Has asked to use services of Dones in the surveillance and remote monitoring in the field of mining. Non technocrats giving technical recommendations. In the fitness of things, suggestions should have been asked from the public, more so those who know the subject, preferably those retired after decades of service, and subject line teachers with research background.”
