Petitioners also alleged that the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, despite being an independent ... had failed to perform its duty
Uttarakhand High Court Halts New Stone Crusher Approvals, latest news: The Uttarakhand High Court, while hearing a petition related to environmental degradation resulting from the increasing number of stone crushing units in the state, directed the Secretary of Mining and the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) to identify areas to be specifically marked for the crushing and dumping of stones and River Bed Material (RBM) within six weeks, The Times of India reported, citing the division bench of Justice Manoj Tiwari and Justice Ashish Naithani.
The bench also put on hold the permission for setting up new stone crushing units.
“We hope and expect that till the exercise of identification of such areas is complete, permission for setting up new stone crushing units may be kept on hold,” the division bench stated, as quoted in the report.
According to the report, the counsel representing the petitioners—villagers from Fatahpur Danda in Dehradun—argued that unless the Uttarakhand government, in consultation with the UKPCB, designates specific areas in each district for stone crushing, the unregulated growth of stone crushers in the state cannot be controlled, and the fragile ecosystem will be at risk.
As per the report, the petitioners also alleged that the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, despite being an independent statutory body, had failed to perform its duty and was operating like a government agency by "issuing consent to run units that are allowed to be set up by the government," the report said.
The report also stated that the Uttarakhand High Court acknowledged the substance in the petitioners’ submissions—that there is an increase in stone crushing units, many of which are located near residential areas or agricultural land.
One such example of a stone crushing unit is on the way to Rewalsar from Mandi Market, where, in a small valley, an active unit lies next to residential areas and agricultural fields, posing a risk to the lives of locals and to the environment, thereby polluting the air.
Taking cognizance of the misuse of permissions, the court said, “While granting permission to set up such units, certain conditions are invariably imposed. However, for authorities, it becomes difficult to enforce such conditions. To maximize their profit, the stone crushing units often violate the conditions under which permission was granted.”
The court also stated, as reported, that stone crushing and dumping of River Bed Material should be limited to designated areas only and not conducted elsewhere.
Additionally, the High Court ordered that a notice be issued to Balaji Stone Crusher in Dehradun. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 30.
