The National Green Tribunal has ordered Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project Corporation Limited (ERCPCL) to stop dredging, desilting, and mineral extraction at the Bisalpur Dam in Tonk district without obtaining environmental clearance.
We are clearly of the view that no further activitycan be carried out without obtaining prior EC under EIA 2006, reads the order by a bench of judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad.
Since in the present case, the tendering activity has already been completed and respondent 6 has been allotted the contract, we do not find to quash the said activities but direct that no dredging and desilting activities for extraction of silt/mineral will be carried out unless prior EC under EIA 89 and other requisite statutory clearances/NOCs are obtained and the laws relating to environment are followed, the order further reads.
The central zonal bench of the tribunal in Bhopal also directed the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board to take necessary preventive, prohibitory, punitive, and remedial measures in case of violations of environmental laws.
The order came after a petition filed by Jodhpur-resident Dinesh Bothra challenging the tender for sand mining at the dam for 20 years.
The petitioner's counsel Sanjeet Purohit submitted that the bid did not align with the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines of 2016 and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining of 2020.
