Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Anish Vs Union of India & Others dated 19/07/2022.

Grievance in the application was against violation of environmental norms by certain sand mining companies at villages Pobari, Kohliwala and Bailgarh, district Yamuna Nagar, Haryana.

The applicant (Anish) annexed photographs which showed the diversion of the river flow, in stream mining and use of heavy machinery which goes against the environmental clearance (EC), the Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines, 2020 and order of the NGT, February 26, 2022 (NGT Bar Association Vs Virender Singh).

The NGT, March 8, 2022 requested the Monitoring Committee headed by Justice Pritam Pal, former Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has been appointed by the Tribunal to monitor compliance of certain orders of the NGT in the state of Haryana, to cross-check the factual position by undertaking visit to the site with the assistance of such authorities as may be considered necessary.

The NGT, July 19, 2022 noted that the reports showed that serious violations were taking place in the course of mining and requisite safeguards were not taken as per mining plan and EC conditions. "No action appears to have been taken for fixing accountability for such violations and for compliance of norms," the NGT said. The court directed the project proponents to respond to the report, if any before passing the final orders.