JAIPUR: As heat is mounting on the state government about its failure in checking rampant illegal mining, chief minister Ashok Gehlot held a meeting with his cabinet colleagues on Sunday. However, the meeting ended up with a few customary words of "strong action" against officials responsible for the menace.

"Take action against the collector or district police chief where illegal mining is taking place and ensure that safety measures for workers are in place in the recognized mines," the chief minister instructed chief secretary CK Mathew after meeting was over.

The farmers are demanding lifting of ban on registration of land in 164 villages in the area that was imposed in 1987 and announcing forest road leading to Sariska as national highway.

"The government did not fulfill its promises which it had made to the farmers earlier. They made the national highway, a lifeline for all the villages in the area, as forest road. This time we will not make any agreement with the government unless they accept our demands," he added.

Mining in Aravalli continues unabated despite a Supreme Court ban on it.

ALWAR: Illegal mining on Aravali hills has not only raised environmental concerns, but also resulted in huge loss of human lives in the state. As per the records made public in the state assembly recently, 40 people have lost their lives due to illegal mining in Mewat's Alwar region over a three years' period.

The police's apathetic attitude towards these deaths has also added to the sorrow of victims' family members. Several cases have come to the fore in which police did not register cases against illegal miners despite repeated requests by the victims' family members. This makes it hard to prove whether these people, mostly labourers, died in mining work.

ALWAR: The death of labourers in the illegal mines of Alwar's Arawali range and Rajsamand district on Thursday brought to the fore lies put up by the state government even before the Supreme Court.

JAIPUR/ALWAR: At least six labourers died while a few others were feared trapped under debris in two mining mishaps in Alwar and Rajsamand districts on Thursday.

JAIPUR: Following a Supreme Court directive in April this year to demarcate and notify buffer zone around the Ranthambore and Sariska tiger reserves within three months or face the heat, the state forest department has made giant progress in the matter.

According to sources in the forest department, work in this regard at both the tiger reserves is nearing completion. The final report is yet to be prepared but a meeting has been held and the areas to be demarcated as buffer zones have been identified.

JAIPUR: To curb illegal mining in the state, the Rajasthan government will start a campaign from April 16th to June 15th. The two-month drive will be carried out in all the districts of the state, with a special focus on regions where the illegal activities are rampant.

Task forces at district and at sub-divisional levels have been formed. Focus will be in areas like Bharatpur, Alwar, Karauli and Bhilwara.
"All the districts in the state have been informed to carry out the inspections at mining sites. Authorities will take strict and effective action against the culprits," said Sudhanshu Pant, secretary, mines and petroleum.

State’s Tall Claims To Check Illegal Practices Fall Flat Once Again

Alwar: Two labourers were buried alive in an illegal mine after stones came crashing on them during an explosion in Alwar’s Tapukara police station area on Tuesday night. As the police and rescue workers could not take the bodies out of the debris till Wednesday night, the tall claims of state government to have enforced the Supreme Court’s complete ban on illegal mining in the area fell flat with these horrifying deaths.

Jaipur: Waking up to gross violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and orders of the Supreme Court, minister for forest and environment Bina Kak on Monday ordered an immediate halt on the construction of annicuts with the use of earth-moving machinery inside the Sariska Tiger Reserve.

The forest department had embarked on a project of constructing 28 annicuts inside the reserve for providing water to animals there, especially during summer. However, the authorities seem to have missed the clearly laid laws for such work.