ITANAGAR: Indiscriminate extraction of boulders and sand gravel from Debing river bed at Debing hill portion in East Siang district is forcing the river to change its course which may pose great threat to the people living at downstream in near future.

The Debing river (known as Rajakhana river in its downstream) is changing its course towards its right side which is affecting a large portion of fertile land under Ruksin circle and also posing serious threat to the Beat Out Post (BOP) of Arunachal Police Battalion, sources informed.

The Supreme Court Friday sought responses from the Centre and states on a PIL for framing uniform rules for preventing illegal sand mining on river banks.

A Bench led by Justice S S Nijjar issued notices on the petition filed by National Legal Services Authority, requesting the court to intervene as reckless and indiscriminate sand mining along banks entailed grave peril to life sustaining capacity of natural environment.

A long judicial stay on the sand mining has caused an increase in the cases of illegal sand mining and has also increased the rates of sand in the market. The police had registered many cases of illegal sand mining and seized loaded trucks and trolleys.

To check the illegal sand mining, the state government and later the High Court had imposed a ban on sand mining over an year ago. However, sometime ago, the High Court had removed the ban, but due to the lack of environmental clearance from the concerned departments, most of the mining sites were lying without auction. During this period, illegal sand mining was encouraged in the Ghaggar river and some other small rivers in this area. On the other hand, customers are bound to purchase sand at higher rates for construction works.

Delegation Submits Five-Point Memorandum To CM

Chief minister Oommen Chandy has responded positively to a demand by a collective of greens in the state to devise a mechanism to bring all activities related to sand mining under government control. The proposal, which is part of the five-point memorandum, submitted by the group led by Sugathakumari and V S Vijayan, would be looked into seriously, assured Chandy.

JAIPUR: In a bid to curb illegal mining in state, the Rajasthan high court has asked the state government to finalize the allotment of mining leases of bajri (riverbed sand) in state within a period of six months as per new rules and to adopt procedure for revenue collection under new rules only.

The order was passed while disposing a PIL filed by an NGO, Nature Club of Rajasthan. The order was passed by the high court in the light of a judgment rendered by Supreme Court in 2012.

A delegation of All India KisanMazdoorSabha (AIKMS) along with several sandmine workers submitted a memorandum to ADM (R) Ashok Kumar on Monday demanding immediate ban on operation of loaders, mach

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Moves afoot to form task force under the Revenue Department. The Industries Department is understood to have mooted a proposal for constituting a task force under the Mining and Geology Department to check the exploitation and transportation of metals and minerals.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today directed the deputy commissioner concerned to take necessary action to check illegal mining on the Chakki riverbed along the Pathankot-Gurdaspur highway.

The illegal mining could wreak havoc in the area and downstream the river in case of any floods during the monsoon season. The issue was raised recently by Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon at a review meeting of flood-protection measures required to be taken in the state.

Punjab has notified the minor mineral rules, which seek to streamline the process of supply in the State, with a thrust on adherence to environmental norms.

Illegal sandmining, plotting out of agricultural lands, and allegations of departmental apathy ignited sparks at the farmers grievance meeting here on Thursday.

Allegations against some panchayat presidents abetting transfer of cultivable lands to real estate was brought to the attention of the Collector T.Munusamy. Speaking of increase in the letting of agricultural lands to real estate plots, Kaveri Danapalan, Cauvery Delta Farmers Protection Association called for reining in of illicit transfers. Similar complaints on sand quarrying were raised, and the administration was requested to divert sand quarrying to water bodies that required rehabilitation.