Illegal Mining in Aravalis and Polybags

September 19 – Haryana Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Mrs. Kiran Choudhry today directed the Regional Officers of Haryana Pollution Control Board (HPCB) to constitute a committee to keep strict check on illegal mining at Aravalli range and to submit a video graphed report within 30 days to the Board. Mrs. Choudhry while presiding over a meeting asked the officers of the HPCB to take strict actions against those who were involved in illegal mining and regular reports of violations and prosecutions should be submitted to the Board.The Minister said that mining at Aravalli range is a serious threat to the environment and the violations should be dealt with strictness. She said that the Regional Officers of HPCB should properly take up the cases of violations and prosecutions should be launched immediately against the violators. She said that it was learnt that in some districts, farm land were being utilized for purposes other than agriculture which is a violation according to the Aravalli notification. She said that it had been directed to all the Deputy Commissioners in the state to abide by the Performa prepared by the HPCB for any land use. She directed the officers to write the concerned departments to complete the work of Sewerage Treatment Plant at Panipat in a time bound manner. The Minister said that regular samples should be collected from the cess pools and should be sent to district authorities regularly. She said that an inventory should be prepared of the industries which were functional without Treatment Plants in district Panipat. The Minister said that all the information regarding the prosecution and directions should be made available on the website of the HPCB. She said that the crushers functional at Gurgaon should be closed immediately and prompt actions should be launched against them. Mrs. Choudhry directed the officers to regularly visit Eco-Clubs and hold activities in accordance with the calendar issued by the HPCB. She said that Eco-Clubs are the arms of pollution wing and to enhance their working, more financial assistance would be provided to them. She said that a State Level function would be organized in the first week of November wherein all the Eco-Clubs functioning in the state would participate. She directed all the Regional Officers to organise regular competitions and functions at their respective districts for the members of the Eco-Clubs. The Minister said that hoardings carrying warnings, on the ban of usage and manufacturing of plastic products below 30 microns should be put across the districts and on the major road sides. She asked the officers to prepare a list of plastic manufacturers and submit it to the headquarters within a week. She directed the Board officers to start penalising the manufacturers of plastic products and spread awareness regarding the usage of plastic, through weekly advertisements in the newspapers. She said that people should be made aware that the State has put a ban on the usage of plastic which do not adhere to the norms specified by the Board.