Illegal mining threatens Sariska

[Mrudul Godbole]

Illegal mining threatens Sariska
Rachna Singh, TNN, Oct 12, 2010, 03.15am IST

JAIPUR: Despite crores being spent in the name of conservation and Project Tiger, illegal mining activity is back in full gear in the protected area of Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary.

"Rampant mining is going on at Jaisinghpura, Malana, Goverdhanpura, Palpura and Jamwa Ramgarh, in spite of the Supreme Court's 1991 order banning mining in the area. After SC's order, 215 mines were closed. But recently, some of them have restarted activity in the middle of the sanctuary," said Rajender Singh, the waterman of Rajasthan, whose NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh had filed the writ petition in the apex court.

Singh added that these villages fall in the protected area and are a rich reservoir of dolomite. "Nearly 30-40 mines have begun operation again, some of them run by leading names in the industry," he said. According to Singh, mining had picked up in Project Tiger area's buffer zones and was causing irreparable damage to tiger habitat and the sanctuary's ecosystem. "Mine owners' money and muscle power has made officials and politicians turn a blind eye to the illegal activity," said Singh who claimed he was attacked thrice by the mining mafia.

Confirming Singh's statement, Delhi-based Tarun Kanti Bose, who has done extensive research on mining in Rajasthan, said, "While public sector mines remain closed as per the apex court's ruling, many mines in the unorganized sector have again started mining marble in the belt, which has good deposits."

In villages like Tilwad and Tilwadi in Alwar, marble mining operations are taking place right in the middle of the villages on private agricultural land. Many large landholders in the villages are today keen on selling their agricultural land as they are getting high returns for it, he said. "Mining is expanding rapidly in an area which has some of the most fertile lands with plenty of water," said Tarun.

Tarun said in all the big mines operating in Sariska, local people seem to be playing the roles of contractors and middlemen. They are also employed as cashiers and administrators. "Ranges in Sariska are covered with densely forested slopes, home to the tiger and other wildlife and an entire ecosystem. But it is fast dwindling with mining and other commercial activity," he said.

Article at - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Illegal-mining-threatens-Sariska-/articleshow/6732997.cms

[Sabyasachi Patra]

The mining lobby is today at logger heads with Conservation. One of the single biggest threat to our wilderness areas and wildlife is from mining. The organised mining sector is very influential. The unorganised mining sector is an equally big threat. The unorganised mining sector on the surface look to be operated by a slew of small players, however, the control rests with big players. People are influenced (by money and/or muscle power). In a large number of areas, including Sariska, there is an effort to destroy the forests, kill the tigers so that it becomes easy to denotify the areas.

There has to be strict controls to trace the origin of all the granites, marbles, gems etc mined and sold in India. Else, we will soon lose out on our pristine forests.

And, our readers should also ask themselves this question when they look for granite or marble to decorate their houses. I think it is time, we ask ourselves this question as well.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Mrudul Godbole]

Sariska mining leases to stay

TNN, Oct 25, 2010, 12.17am IST

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government has refused to cancel new mining leases in the Sariska range despite Union forests minister Jairam Ramesh asking chief minister Ashok Gehlot to put an end to mining in the Aravali ranges and cancel all new leases. The Supreme Court had earlier ruled: "no mining in Aravalis till further orders".

On October 21, TOI had reported that new mining leases were issued near Sariska wildlife sanctuary. The next day, Ramesh had asked Gehlot to cancel the leases immediately. In a letter to TOI, the state mines department claimed the newspaper report was not based on fact. According to the letter, "The orders of the Supreme Court passed on February 2, 2010, are being fully implemented... The court has restrained mining in cases of such mines where the renewal application is pending but lessees are doing mining as per the deeming provisions of rule 24A of Mineral Conservation Rules, 1960. The mining in such cases has been stopped completely."

However, the SC order said, ``There are about 261 mining leases in Rajasthan. Some of the mining leases have been renewed after 16.02.2002, though it was not strictly pemissible as per the order passed on that date."

The SC order also said, "A large number of applications are also pending with the authorities taking advantage of the deemed provisions of the Rule 24-A and almost all lease-holders are carrying on mining operations uninterruptedly. We, accordingly, restrain all those lease holders whose applications for renewal of their respective leases are pending from doing any mining."

So, going by its letter, the state government still allows mining which remains in violation of the SC order.
The SC had also directed the Forest Survey of India to carry out satellite imaging of the entire Aravali range in Rajasthan. It also clarified that the imagery should not be confined only to peaks/parts of hills 100m above ground level.

However, the mines department's letter claimed that the ``state government never pleaded before the SC that Rule 24A of the Minerals Concession Rules, 1960 provides definition of Aravali Hills''.

The mines department admits that one of the mining leases (127/07) was barely 20km from Sariska tiger reserve. In fact, the state has said that leases have been given to mines ``20-60km from Sariska tiger reserve''. A list of 17 such mining leases issued recently has been attached with the letter.

According to environment experts, this could disturb the ecology of the area and may endanger the habitat of the Sariska tigers that have been brought from Ranthambore. Five tigers have already been shifted to Sariska from Ranthambore. Few more will be shifted soon. A tiger needs its own territory of 8-10km.

Rajasthan's additional government counsel, wildlife and forests, Mahendra Singh Kachhawa, said, "Any sort of new mining lease in Aravalli ranges is contemptuous as it violates the SC ruling."

Sources said the mines department had to cancel several leases after TOI reported it. Some of them were almost on the boundary of the Sariska tiger reserve.

Article at - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Sariska-mining-leases-to-stay/articleshow/6805937.cms#ixzz13MYWTDdN