Uttarakhand HC constitutes committee on illegal soapstone mining in Bageshwar

Nainital, Jan 1 (PTI) A committee that will look into cracks that have developed in villages of Bageshwar district, allegedly due to illegal soapstone mining, has been formed on the directions of the Uttarakhand High Court.

A bench of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Subhash Upadhyay has directed all mines to be inspected and has asked the committee to submit a report to the court within two weeks.

The court has heard several suo motu PILs related to cracks in houses in Kanda tehsil and other villages of Bageshwar district, as well as other petitions related to 165 mining units.

The committee includes renowned environmentalist Dr Ajay Rawat and scientists from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) and others.

Locals attributed the land subsidence, which had aggravated with time, to large-scale soapstone mining in the area and excavated ditches being left untreated by contractors, who often violated mining norms by blasting and using heavy machinery for digging.

Villagers of Kanda tehsil had previously written a letter to the then chief justice apprising him of the damage caused allegedly by illegal mining of soapstone.

The letter alleged that agricultural land, houses, water supply lines, and other basic amenities in the villages have been severely affected due to mining activities.

It also said that people with more resources have migrated to Haldwani and other cities, and now mainly poor residents remain in the villages.

Villagers also alleged that the "mining mafia" has planned to seize their means of livelihood, even though numerous memorandums have been submitted to the concerned authorities. PTI DPT SKY SKY