Hyderabad: A woman farmer from a village near the Outer Ring Road (ORR) has secured relief after an 18-year legal battle against illegal mining and industrial pollution, with the National Green Tribunal taking note of an assessment of ₹2.8 lakh for crop losses and directing authorities to tighten oversight of quarries, stone crushers and hot mix plants in Rangareddy and Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri districts.In its July 9, 2026 judgment on the petition filed by Pisati Indira Reddy, the Tribunal ruled that no mining or industrial unit could operate without valid statutory clearances, even if it was located within a designated mining zone. It said quarry operators whose applications were pending under the ‘violation category’ could not begin or resume operations until they secured environmental clearance and consent orders from the Telangana Pollution Control Board (TGPCB).The case was filed by Pisati Indira Reddy, a farmer and meditation teacher from Saddupalli in Taramatipet near ORR, along with another farmer, Akiti Nikhil Kumar Reddy. The petition raised concerns over mining, stone crushing and hot mix plants in Bandaravirala village of Abdullapurmet mandal in Rangareddy district and Deshmukhi village of Bhudan Pochampally mandal in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district. Units were also located near Saddupalli, Chinna Ravirala and Pedda Amberpet.“I have been complaining since 2008. My first complaint was made to the Mines Department. I complained to several officials and departments over the years. In 2020, I approached the high court, and the case was disposed of with directions for necessary action. Later, I approached the NGT in 2022, and the judgment came on July 9, 2026. I am very happy that I got relief after so many years of fighting,” Indira Reddy told TOI.₹2.8 lakh assessed for crop lossA joint committee found that dust deposition had forced the applicants to abandon agricultural activity on their land for about two years. It assessed the total crop loss at ₹2.8 lakh based on the minimum support prices fixed by the state govt for crops grown on the land. The committee did not establish widespread agricultural damage beyond their land. It also recommended that the applicants cultivate alternative crops suggested in the agricultural report, in consultation with local agricultural officers.The committee found ambient air quality to be within prescribed limits. However, the Tribunal said pollution-control measures installed by some units, including water sprinklers and wind-breaking walls, were inadequate to address the cumulative impact of the large number of mining and industrial units operating in the area.It recommended a cumulative environmental impact assessment by a recognised scientific institution.The Tribunal directed the Mines and Geology Department to conduct periodic inspections and ensure that no mining took place without environmental clearance and other statutory permissions. The TGPCB was asked to verify whether every stone crusher and hot mix plant possessed valid Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate approvals and to enforce closure orders against violators.It clarified that merely filing an application to regularise an existing violation did not give a quarry operator the right to continue operations. Of the 31 quarries in the area, 25 had operated without prior environmental clearance and later applied for regularisation under the violation category.Pulicherla Kunta restoration orderedThe Tribunal also ordered the restoration of Pulicherla Kunta after finding that Padmavathi Metal Industry had damaged the tank bund and bed. The unit had laid internal roads within the water-spread area, excavated pits in the tank bed and operated without a valid Consent to Operate.The district collectors and other departments concerned were directed to restore the water body and its bund, remove waste dumped in the water-spread area, demarcate its Full Tank Level and reclaim abandoned and mined-out pits. Authorities were also asked to ensure that land records accurately reflected the existence and boundaries of protected water bodies to prevent encroachment.The TGPCB had issued closure orders on Jan 5, 2021, against eight hot mix plants: Veltech Constructions, SV Construction, Ambica Infra Company, Mayank Infra, PN Constructions/Ganesh Construction, SPR Construction, K Chandrashekar Hot Mix Plant and Venkatesh Hot Mix Plant.The orders were issued for causing air pollution or operating without valid consent. M/s Venkatesh Hot Mix Plant, which had operated without a valid Consent to Operate, subsequently dismantled its machinery.Among stone crushers and mining units, Sri Renuka Rock Sand Metal Industry was found to have deficient compliance and was issued a closure order in May 2022. KRC Infra Projects Mine and Stone Crusher was issued a closure order and later dismantled its plant and machinery. Uday Stone Crushing was issued a closure order in July 2022.Five quarries in Rangareddy district and two in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district were issued show-cause notices for operating without valid consent.The Tribunal made it clear that units whose proposals remained pending under the violation category could not resume operations until they obtained all environmental and statutory approvals. Any unit continuing without such permissions would be treated as operating illegally and would face action, it said.
