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On July 1, 2025, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the formation of a three-member fact-finding committee to investigate claims of unlawful stone mining and crushing in the villages of Bishanpur, Pratapur, Mansinghpur, Siulidanga and Ganeshpur in Pakur district, Jharkhand. The committee is tasked with visiting the site and submitting a report.
The eastern bench of NGT ordered notices to be issued to the government of Jharkhand; the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB); Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Jharkhand.
The applicant, Mahendra Prakash Soren, alleged that te stone mining and crushing units are operating in violation of the mandatory terms of Environmental Clearance (EC) and Consent to Operate (CTO). They are harming the environment by producing large dust clouds without implementing any dust control measures.
Moreover, there is no boundary wall, no concrete road constructed, the green belt area is undeveloped, and the mined and crushed stone is being transported illegally without any cover.
The applicant claimed that emissions from the stone crusher units are causing significant respiratory issues such as asthma, as well as skin and eye irritation among village residents. Additionally, these units are located 50-100 metres from farmland and a public road, violating environmental laws due to their proximity to human settlements, a primary school and an anganwadi, thereby breaching siting criteria.
The application noted that blasting and crushing activities persist even at night, with heavy vehicles illegally transporting the crushed mineral, contravening the State Pollution Control Board's consent to operate conditions.
The District Survey Report (DSR) for Udalguri district, Assam has been finalised and published, ensuring transparency and adherence to environmental safeguards, stated the report filed by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Assam on June 9, 2025.
The document, posted on the NGT website on July 1, 2025, addresses the issuance of environmental clearances (EC) for mining initiatives in Assam's Udalguri district and the creation of the DSR.
According to SEIAA, Assam, Udalguri district lacked a DSR before July 23, 2024.
The NGT, in its July 23, 2024 order, issued directives concerning other districts of Assam, stating that the DSR is compulsory for all districts in Assam. Consequently, the relevant authorities began the process of preparing the DSR for Udalguri district.
On July 23, 2024, SEIAA of Assam granted ECs to some project proponents in Udalguri district based on evaluation by the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC), Assam.
The ECs were issued with the condition that the mining areas in question must be reflected in the DSR once finalised. The EC was granted only as a stop-gap arrangement to meet the minimum requirement of sand in the state so that no illegal mining is done.
The pre-appraisal of the draft DSR for Udalguri district was conducted by the SEAC on October 9, 2024. The DSR was subsequently approved and is now available on the official website.
SEIAA, Assam has adhered to the directions of the Supreme Court, particularly regarding the balance between legal mining activities and the need for construction and development. The apex court had "emphasised that the state should not be prevented from carrying out mining activities if environmental clearances are pending, provided the activities are conducted legally to prevent revenue loss from illegal mining".
SEIAA, Assam affirmed that all ECs granted for Udalguri district were issued in compliance with the EIA Notification, 2006, and subsequent amendments as well as the directives of the NGT and the Supreme Court.
The brick kiln in Makhaipur village in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district should pay environmental compensation for operating without consent to operate, stated the joint committee report filed before NGT June 24, 2025.
"The brick kiln should not be allowed to operate as it has not complied with conditions stipulated in the Uttar Pradesh Brick Kiln (Siting Criteria for Establishment) Rules, 2012 with respect to siting criteria," stated the report posted in the NGT website. "The Mining Department and Jila Panchayat should also penalise the brick owners as per provisions of their rules / guidelines. District administration, Kannauj should ensure closure of the brick kiln."
During the visit of the joint committee, the brick kiln was found non-operational. The unit has not obtained 'No Objection Certificate (NOC)' for establishment of the brick kiln from Uttar Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (UPSPCB). At the time of inspection, around 300,000 bricks were lying at the premises.
The brick kiln does not have consent to operate under the Water and Air Act from UPPCB. The brick kiln was using coal, wood and wood dust as fuel and has two borewells to meet its fresh water requirement. No flow meter was installed at either borewell.
The brick kiln had not obtained permission from the Mining Department and Jila Panchayat for the year 2024-2025 and as per UPSPCB, no Consent to Establishment / Consent to Operate application had been received. The brick kiln was not meeting distance criteria as per the Uttar Pradesh Brick Kilns (Siting Criteria for Establishment) Rules, 2012, the joint committee noted.
The residents of Makhaipur village in their application to the NGT said that complaints were raised against the polluting kiln to the Pollution Control Board, Kanpur and Pollution Control Board, Lucknow. After the complaint, the Pollution Control Board, Kanpur (Raniya) inspected the kiln and found it illegal and an order was passed to close the kiln. But the kiln remained open.
According to the villagers, the kiln is ruining the crops and polluting the air. Further, the kiln is located only about 300 to 400 meters away from the residential area, school and religious place.