Nainital : The Uttarakhand government has been summoned by the Nainital High Court for failing to adhere to a previous order regarding illegal mining in the river. In accordance with the guidelines previously issued, the High Court has directed the establishment of a specialized task force in every district of Uttarakhand. The task force, which includes the head of every gram sabha, has been given two weeks to present its report to the court.
Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Alok Kumar Verma presided over the hearing of the case. The court received a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that the earlier order to stop illegal mining was not being followed.
The High Court has also directed that no action be taken regarding the issuance of mining leases to private individuals in the Kosi river under the River Dredging Policy until the PIL is reviewed. During the hearing, the Secretary of Mining and other officials personally appeared before the court. The next hearing is scheduled for April 6.
The High Court had previously issued guidelines in 2019 to establish a task force to combat illegal mining in the Kosi river of Udham Singh Nagar in response to a PIL filed by Ramesh Lal, a resident of Udham Singh Nagar. The petitioner claimed that illegal mining had been ongoing for several years despite the court’s order.
The petitioner has requested that contempt action be taken against officials who failed to comply with the court’s orders.
