The Supreme Court has stayed proceedings in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in connection with illegal mining of sand from river beds, the Tribunal was on Friday informed.

PANJIM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) will hear on November1, Friday the plea of Goa government for seeking exemption from the nationwide ban on sand mining.

The State government in its affidavit filed before the NGT earlier last month has requested the court to exempt Goa from the ban on sand extraction, as an effective regulatory mechanism for sand removal has been put in place. An NGT order dated August 14, 2013, had banned sand extraction across the country.

V. S. Vijayan, member, Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), has said that it was evident that vested interests were behind those opposing the Madhav Gadgil report.

The issue of alleged irregularities in mines of beach minerals came to the fore after former Tuticorin collector, Ashish Kumar, had conducted inspections at a private sand quarry.

Revenue Department’s drive following complaints from eco forums

The Revenue Department has resumed its drive against illegal mining and transportation of minor minerals including laterite, gravel, clay, and sand. The drive is being resumed in the wake of complaints from environmental organisations and action councils formed against the illegal mining activities.

Taking a strong cue from the blanket ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal recently, officials of the Forest Department carried out a series of raids in all the nullahs and banks of the Ravi a

A three-member expert committee will study the Kasturirangan Committee report on Western Ghats to help the state form an official view on the matter.

The Punjab Government is verifying whether stone crushers in a border area of Punjab are using material mined in neighbouring states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal.

The cabinet on Wednesday allowed auctioning of sand and stone mine sites in Maharashtra. State and district environment committees will soon be set up to scrutinize and proposals and sites.