Illegal bauxite mining in Jharkhand: NGT forms panel, seeks report

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has formed a panel and asked it to submit a factual and action-taken report on the alleged illegal mining of bauxite in Jharkhand's Lohardaga.

The NGT was hearing a petition which was registered following a media report on illegal bauxite mining in Lohardaga.

Lohardaga is also known as the 'Bauxite Town' of the country.  A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava referred to the news report on “large-scale, rampant illegal mining of bauxite,” which was  clandestinely transported in trucks having forged number plates.

The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, in a recent order, said, “The news item reveals that a substantial issue relating to compliance of environmental laws is involved.”

“We deem it proper to form a joint committee comprising of the representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Member Secretary, Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board and the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) concerned,” the bench said.  It said the DFO will act as a nodal agency for coordination and compliance.

“The committee will examine the issue and will submit the fact-finding and action taken report before the Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata,” the tribunal said.