Mines Director clarifies as per SC order mining was stopped in 18 reaches
PNS | Vijayawada
Director of Mines VG Venkat Reddy has clarified that there is no ban on sand mining across the State of Andhra Pradesh. In a release on Saturday, the Director of Mines said that the permissions of 18 open sand reaches in the B-2 (semi-mechanised) category in the Araniyar river basin of Chittoor district have been cancelled as per the court orders.
He said that the concerned company will have to take all the environmental permits again to start the sand mining in these 18 reaches. He said that the Supreme Court has issued a stay order for the fine imposed by the NGT on these 18 reaches for causing disruption to the environment.
The court also suggested that the environment department should review the environmental permits already issued in the B1 and B2 categories in the state.
The Director said that the government is implementing a better sand policy in the State, as a part of which sand mining is being allowed only in the reaches where all the permits are in place without causing any environmental disturbance. In the light of the cases filed in the NGT regarding the 18 sand reaches of Chittoor district, as per the orders of the Apex Court, the Department of Mines has ordered to completely stop mining in them, he said.
He said that as per the direction of CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, sand reserves are being made available in all places with the intention of preventing sand shortage in the state during the rainy season for the construction sector.
He pointed out that a section of the media is propagating false messages against the government. He further said that they are giving permission for sand mining only in the reaches where all the permissions have been obtained from the Environment Department, and if there are any violations, immediate action is taken, he added.
