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A list of 76 illegal mining sites within 10 kilometres from the protected area of Gir West Forest Division, Junagadh, Gujarat, has been prepared. This was stated in the additional affidavit by the deputy conservator of forest, Gir.
The report dated June 14, 2024 was in compliance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order of March 11, 2024 in the Sayyed Mohammed Sabir Usman & Others Vs Union of India & Others case.
The report filed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) June 14, 2024 informed the NGT that during inspection in Tilganga River “sewage water was found flowing in the river”.
MPCB had conducted the inspection, along with the representative of Koregaon Nagar Panchayat, and visited the site of Tilganga River near Chain Bridge, Koregaon on June 11, 2024.
Koregaon Nagar Panchayat had allotted a work tender to Shree Ganesh Construction for erecting a protection (retaining) wall on the riverbed, beautification, trimix concreting, assembly hall construction, gardening, electric pole shifting and installation of stone pavers and sound system.
The inspection team noted that the riverbed was being excavated with JCB machines. “Underground gutter construction found in process inside the protection wall. Domestic effluent is proposed to flow in this gutter towards the sewage treatment plant. There is provision of footpath above this gutter,” said the report.
The applicant, Sanjay Gade from Jaoli taluka in Satara district, had submitted a complaint March 20, 2024 against Shree Ganesh Construction, alleging that Koregaon Nagarpanchayat has permitted construction on the riverbed of Tilganga illegally.
To prevent water pollution, the municipal council of Ramgarh has made arrangements to screen the drains in wards situated on the banks of Damodar River so that solid waste and other pollutants can be prevented from entering the river, according to the compliance report by deputy commissioner, Ramgarh, Jharkhand. The report submitted to the NGT June 7, 2024 mentioned steps taken by the authorities to protect Damodar from pollution, encroachments, illegal sand mining, among other menaces.
To completely prevent water pollution, two sewage treatment plants – in Sugiadih of capacity 19 million litres a day and in Gobardaha of 23 MLD capacity – are being contructed on a ‘war footing’ by the municipal council, the report added. No effluent-generating industries are located in the Ramgarh town area, according to a report shared by the local pollution board in Ramgarh.
Further, circle officers of Chitarpur, Ramgarh, Dulmi, Patratu and Gola have reported that there is no encroachment on the floodplain area adjacent to Damodar. However, the circle officer of Mandu noted that the dumping yard on the floodplains near the Damodar, in the Mauja-Sugia village within the Karma project of the Central Coalfield Ltd in Kuju area in Mandu zone, is causing floodplain encroachment.