Times of India: Aurangabad: Thursday,
July 21, 2016.
The National
Green Tribunal, Western Zone Bench, Pune has issued notices to the respondents,
including the state government, directing them to remain present by the next
hearing in the petition alleged illegal mining at Rampuri village, about 20 km
from Aurangabad.
The next
hearing in the matter is scheduled on August 9, 2016. The direction came after
an application was filed with the green tribunal by Ajanta International
Vipassana Samiti and some farmers demanding environmental protection in the
vicinity, which was disturbed by the illegal mining taking place in the
village.
The NGT bench
comprising justices U D Salvi and Ajay Deshpande in its order on July 4, 2016
issued notices to the respondents, including Popatlal Chordiya, Krishna Bankar,
Maharashtra government, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, the Aurangabad
district collector and the Aurangabad deputy director of directorate of geology
and mining and directed them to remain present at the next hearing which is
scheduled to be held on August 9, 2016.
The
applicants, Ajanta International Vipassana Samiti and five farmers from Rampuri
village, with the help of advocate Asim Sarode raised the serious issue of
illegal mining. The petition said the activity is in violation of various laws
and rules related to environmental protection, such as the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986 and the respondents, Chordiya and Bankar, started
illegal mining business of stone crushing without obtaining any permission or
licence from any of the competent authorities.
The petition
said this illegal mining business in gut number 41 in Rampuri village is
causing air and noise pollution and the calmness and quietness of Vipassana
centre is being disturbed. Heavy machineries like compressor, drilling, earth
moving machine and blasting operation are being carried out causing noise
pollution, said the applicant.
The
applicants also said that due to air pollution and spreading of dust particles,
the agricultural produce and standing crops in the field have got affected and
agricultural income of the farmers reduced to a great extent.
The applicants
also claimed that they obtained information under the Right to Information Act
(RTI) from the office of Aurangabad district collector, the deputy director,
directorate of geology & mining, regional office MPCB Aurangabad and
environment and forest departments, Aurangabad, that revealed that no
permission has been granted to anybody for mining stones or excavation of
stones in gut number 41 of Rampuri village.
Despite
registering complaints with the district collector and MPBC, no action was
initiated to stop the illegal mining activity, said the petition, adding that
the competent authorities too were responsible for environmental damage caused
as they turned blind eye to the issue.
The petition
said that vipassana can be used to develop a healthy mind and is actually a
mental training. Therefore, for going to the stage of Vipassana Meditation,
silence is very important. Even slight noise can break the concentration and
disturbs the disciples of Vipassana. In the hall of meditation, no one is allowed
to talk with each other. However, with stone crushing activities in nearby
areas, all the processes of Vipassana have been disturbed, said the applicants
in the petition.
"The
dust generated by the stone crusher industry is not only limited to causing
health hazards to people in the vicinity and causing adverse effects on
agriculture but it also is detrimental to the Bio-Diversity to some
extent," said advocate Sarode.