Chandigarh: Taking note of allegations of continuing illegal mining in Ropar district, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Punjab govt to take appropriate action and submit an action-taken report within four weeks.The matter is being heard by a bench of NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad. During the hearing, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) placed an additional status report before the tribunal concerning 171 stone crushers operating in the district.According to the status report, officials inspected all 171 crushers identified in the district. The inspections assessed compliance with various environmental safeguards, including the machinery installed at the units, display of environmental information, conveyor belts and chutes, water-spraying systems, stabilisation of areas used for movement, plantation, septic tanks for treating domestic effluent, recirculation tanks, boundary walls, cameras and air pollution control devices.Compliance with the conditions stipulated in the consent granted by the PPCB was also examined. Of the 171 units, 25 were found closed, while 72 were found non-compliant, 60 partially compliant and 10 compliant. Environmental compensation was imposed on four stone crushers.During the hearing, counsel for the applicant submitted that despite the pendency of the proceedings before the tribunal, illegal mining was allegedly continuing in Ropar. In support of the submission, the applicant referred to photographs placed on record, which reportedly contain dates and geo-coordinates.The counsel appearing for Punjab informed the tribunal that the matter would be duly examined and action taken. Taking note of the submission, the tribunal directed Punjab govt to file the action-taken report. The final hearing is on Nov 30.PPCB had previously informed the tribunal that its officers had carried out ambient air quality monitoring in cluster zones where stone crushers are situated in Sainsowal, Algran, Plata, Agampur, Khera Kalmot and Saidpur areas of Ropar. Analysis of the air quality monitoring showed that of the 18 samples collected across six locations, six samples from two locations (Saidpur and Plata) were found to be within the permissible limit of 150 µg/m3 for SPM/PM10.The board said three samples were collected at Algran village. Of these, one sample was found to be within the permissible limit, recording 139 µg/m3 for SPM/PM10. The remaining two samples were found to be marginally above the permissible limit of 150 µg/m3, recording 185 µg/m3 and 167 µg/m3, respectively, for SPM/PM10.
