Green Tribunal Urges Crackdown on Illegal Yamuna Sand Mining

The National Green Tribunal advised a petitioner to engage with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee or the mining department about allegations of unlawful sand mining from the Yamuna river in north Delhi. The tribunal emphasized the need for these bodies to assess the scope of the alleged activities.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the petitioner to consult either the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) or the mining department regarding claims of illicit instream and riverbed sand extraction from the Yamuna river in north Delhi.

This directive aims to ensure that the committee or department adequately assesses the magnitude of the alleged illegal mining operations.

The petition, submitted by the Jagatpur village chief, accuses the sand mafia of large-scale unauthorized sand extraction. It also alleges that cracks in a bund near Jagatpur and Burari villages are linked to these unlawful activities. The NGT, in their December 24 order led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A. Senthil Vel, stated that the concern must first be addressed by official authorities to evaluate the 'reality and extent' of illegal mining.

(With inputs from agencies.)