Chhattisgarh HC issues notice to govt on mineral storage in Koriya

RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh high court has issued a notice to the state government and three private parties for storing minerals in Koriya district without obtaining a no-objection certificate from the environment conservation board. The high court bench, comprising Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami and Justice Sanjay Agrawal, issued the notice while hearing a writ petition filed by the Sarguja Society for Fast Justice.

Apart from the state government and three private persons, the director of directorate of geology and mining, mineral resource department, Koriya collector, mineral officer, Chhattisgarh environment conservation board, and DFO of Kulhari forest division have been made respondents in the case.

The petitioners' counsel Surya Kawalkar Dangi and Aditi Singhvi submitted that the rules for storage of minerals should be made by the state government under Section 23 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.

The state government has notified Chhattisgarh Minerals (Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2009 for the purpose. As per rules, the fencing of permit sites shall be done either through wire or brick wall, permit holders should follow all terms and conditions imposed by the environment pollution conservation board under air and water pollution consent, said the counsel. Permission for the storage of sand minerals has been given to Parmeshwar at the dumping site Tendudand gram panchayat in Koriya, Shyam Sundar Jajodia at the dumping site Manvaar gram panchayat in Koriya and Ajeetesh Sahu at the dumping site Harchok gram panchayat in Koriya, they said.

As per information received from the regional office of CECB, Ambikapur, related to the permission, consent and non-objection order issued by the Board, it is stated that no such information is available with the department - meaning no permission has been sought, the counsel say, adding that permission for storage has been given by the mineral officer of Koriya for a temporary storage site in violation of rules.