Illegal sand mining in Gautam Budh Nagar: NGT notice to Centre

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal today sought a response from the Centre on a plea seeking action against alleged illegal sand mining in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

A bench, headed NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, issued notice to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Uttar Pradesh government and others while seeking their replies by November 2.

The directions came while hearing a plea by a lawyers' body, National Green Tribunal Bar Association, seeking a detailed report into illegal sand mining in Gautam Budh Nagar district being carried out in violation of the orders of the green panel.

Referring to a newspaper report, the plea has said that a bridge was being illegally constructed on Yamuna river in Noida's Chak Basantpur Village to link it with Faridabad for transporting "illegally" mined sand from Noida to Faridabad.

The report had claimed that a third of the 300-metre-long structure had been constructed near the village for trucks and dumpers carrying the sand and the administration has seized around 6,000 sandbags and several concrete pipes.

"Direct that the personal responsibility of concerned officials/persons be determined for restitution of the damage done to the environment due to illegal sand mining in Gautam Budh Nagar," the plea said.