Mindlessly Mined

  • Abhishek Behl / FG
  • India
  • Jul 18, 2014

 

 

The recent Supreme Court order on the matter of illegal mining and stone crushing in the Aravallis is timely, given that its earlier order(s) on a ban of such activities was being violated. It might still save this crucial ecological zone that protects the entire NCR region, particularly the two important cities of Gurgaon and Faridabad. The Aravallis not only provide a green cover and a water recharge zone, but also act as a barrier and a ‘coolant’ to the hot air blowing in from Rajasthan. The Supreme Court order had also asked the high-powered environmental panel, the Central Empowered Committee, to inspect the area and submit a report. The direction was passed by a bench comprising Justice FMI Kalifulla and Justice AK Sikri. The Bandhua Mukti Morcha, on whose petition the Supreme Court gave this order, says that apart from the environmental, there is a huge human cost also being paid. And this illegal mining is taking place under the noses of the police and the civil administration. Prominent social and political activist Swami Agnivesh, who is the founder and head of the Morcha, alleges that illegal mining is taking place in Mewat, Sohna and other parts of  Haryana with the collusion of politicians and administrators. “How can hundreds of crushers be running unchecked? The stone is not being brought from Rajasthan, as is being claimed. There is involvement of a ‘mafia’. Since the government of Haryana has consistently failed to check this illegal mining, we had to approach the Supreme Court,” alleges Swami Agnivesh. The Morcha people say that though a ban had been imposed on mining in June, illegal mining in the area was continuing. Ramesh Arya (of the Morcha) says that the Supreme Court has given two weeks time, by when all such activities should stop, or the parties concerned would face contempt (of court). While ‘officially’ mining has come to a standstill, locals allege that there are several hill areas (near villages) where the mining is still being carried out during the night. This clandestine activity is allegedly being carried out in and near Shikarpur, Chila, Nangli, Mubarakpur, Mahu-Tigaon, Ranyala, Nangal, Bai, Khanpur and Jhindrawat. The locals allege that blatant corruption at the field staff level and the collusion of higher-ups allows these illegal operations to flourish.

Expressing hope that mining in the Aravallis would be stopped completely, Ramesh Arya says that the major problem is the loss of human life and injuries to the untrained workers, who use crude methods and have no experience in the handling of explosives. They are just left to fend for themselves. “When a worker gets injured, he has to leave the area. And, ironically, if he goes to the police, they will instead book him under charges of illegal mining!” says Arya. “Even where mining is legal, it should be conducted in a responsible manner, taking into account the regeneration capacity of the area and also the safety of the workforce and people living in the vicinity,” he adds. The movement of dumpers, carrying ‘illegal’ stones and crushed material, has also become a source of constant danger for the local population, particularly in Mewat. These trucks have been responsible for a large number of accidents, which also have led to communal conflagrations. Zafar Ahmed, a resident of Mewat, says that untrained drivers cause many accidents, and the crushers are a source of permanent pollution. The recent violence at Tauru (though not directly related to illegal mining) has ‘woken up’ the police to these threats. In its aftermath the Haryana Police Chief SN Vashisht had promised to end illegal mining and crushing in the area, with the help of technology. It was also promised that dumpers that carry ‘legal’ construction material would be given hologram stickers (having a barcode); anyone operating without this sticker would be treated as an illegal operator. The police had also promised to  instal more check posts and increase the checking of trucks and mines by officers from the transport, mining, and police departments. The authorities also held a meeting with the owners of the crushers. While the officials are upbeat that they would be able to check this activity, the environmental activists assert that all this is just lip service. They say that the profit generated by illegal mining is so big that unless there is a major push from the top it is going to be very difficult to change the situation at ground level. While all mine owners get a fixed area and quota for mining, they always violate the terms and conditions; they know that they will not have to pay any royalty, taxes and other levies on the ‘illegally’ obtained stone. The experts also warn that if the Aravallis are not saved from the scourge of mining, then the days are not far when the Gurgaon-Faridabad region would suffer from a continuous heat wave and dust (from desert sands), which could encircle the entire area in a cloud formation. Bhawani Shankar Tripathy, of Mission Gurgaon Development, says that these hills are one of the oldest (hill) ranges in the world and are identified as a recharge zone for groundwater by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). The Aravalis are also zoned as a natural conservation area in the Regional Plan 2021 prepared by the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB), which Haryana is mandated to follow. This area is also a deemed forest area under the Forest Conservation Act. “The surface of the Aravallis has a number of crucial cracks, which help the rainwater to go deep into the soil and recharge the water table. If these hills continue to be mined at the lower level, that too crudely, it would ruin the entire ecology of the area,” asserts Tripathy. Vivek Kamboj of Haryali says that the government of Haryana needs to take cognizance of the impact that mining and crushing have had on the vegetation in and around the Aravalis. He adds that the hills are losing their strength and, unless the SC order and the current rules are now implemented in letter and spirit, it would be difficult to safeguard Gurgaon.

 The Aravalis also act as a critical groundwater recharge zone, and the areas around them have high a dependence on ground water. Experts estimate that the natural and augmented filtration into the ground (in and around the Aravallis) is about 33 per cent. Ramesh Arya says, “Our goal should be to safeguard the hills, and ensure that vegetation is replenished and the green cover maintained at the optimum level. There should also be no exploitation of the workers,” he asserts. The unabated mining and crushing in the hills has led to blockages in the original contours of the hills, thus disturbing the natural drainage resulting in poor water recharge. Experts add that it is because of the massive mining and real estate activity that lakes like Surajkund and Badkhal, and other water-bodies close to the Aravalis, have dried up. In fact even a local lake in Ghata Village has dried up. 

While indiscriminate mining has also caused the destruction of much of the ‘green cover’, what is appalling is that a number of mining pits that went even below the level of ground water have just been abandoned, causing a huge loss of water through evaporation or being drained out into nullahs. As per a CGWB study, there is an almost 1 million sq. m. area of such exposed water table. The mining has also led to a massive pumping out of groundwater for years, to ‘de-water’ the mines so that the stone could be extracted, leading to a huge sheer wastage of this precious resource! A recent study commissioned by NCRPB reveals that the green forest cover has depleted in the NCR region at a very rapid rate, and around 32,769 hectares of green areas and 1,464 hectares of water bodies have been lost in the period 1999-2012. This has also sent the ground water table crashing. The Environment ministry has therefore recommended that forest cover should be increased by almost 400 per cent in Haryana. Bhawani Shankar Tripathy suggests that mining and crushing in Mewat, and the transport of the resulting construction material, could be avoided if we use new and innovative materials for building houses. The use of fly ash bricks, and several other green options, could ensure that precious rocks and sand are protected. The villagers in the crusher zone say that if the government comes down heavily on this industry, many youth will lose their jobs. The Bandhua Mukti Morcha says that it doesn’t want all the crushers to be closed, but are asking the Supreme Court to clamp down on those that are illegal and/or violating agreed terms and conditions and rules. While the recent direction of the Supreme Court has clearly turned the tide against illegal mining, and the recent incidents in Mewat have also made the local police more sensitive to the entire issue, not much may change unless this State Administration finally gets ‘real’ (in terms of civic and social sensitivity, and not estate). Closer home, we too must get real: saving the Aravallis is crucial for the future of Gurgaon.

 

 

The Supreme Court ordered a ban on mining in the Aravallis in the year 2002, asserting that this entire range comes under forest land. This came after an order banning sand and silica mining along a 5-km stretch around the Surajkund and Badkhal lakes that year. The Supreme Court agreed that the Aravallis hills came under the category of ‘Forest Land’, and irrespective of ownership they should be treated as forests. Therefore, any non-forest activity in this region would need permission from the Central government. The blanket ban on mining was strongly opposed by mine owners, Haryana politicians and even the government in the State, as they claimed this prohibited economic development. In the Gurgaon area the ban on mining was also based on the anticipated threat of a receding water table. In May 2009 the Supreme Court extended the ban on mining in the Aravallis to an area of 448 square kilometers across Faridabad, Gurgaon and Mewat districts of Haryana. 

 
 
 
 

 

 


INTERVIEW

 

Swami Agnivesh runs the Bandhua Mukti Morcha, which for the past many years has fought against bonded labour in the country. In Haryana the Morcha has been actively working against the illegal mining in the Aravallis and the lack of proper facilities for labour employed.  Swami Agnivesh has also been deeply involved with the state of Haryana, as he started his socio-political agitation - against the established political system - in 1968 from a village in Jhajjar (moving there from Calcutta). Swami Agnivesh spoke to Friday Gurgaon on various aspects of his work, and the current political status. He has high hopes from Prime Minister Modi, though he does not think much of the BJP, which he thinks has still not matured as a political party.

 

 

What do you think about the current state of politics in Haryana? And why is illegal mining not stopping despite interventions by the Supreme Court?

The entire state of Haryana today is steeped in corruption, and illegal mining, land scams and every other ill is being abetted by the politicians in power. This State, which witnessed a strong movement against corruption during the JP movement, has gone totally against the values that were espoused during that period. What we need today is a new movement, which should again be based at grassroot level. The tantra of administration should be in the hands of the people, but right now some families control the entire power structure. Even the ministers and MLAs in Haryana can be compared with bonded labourers, as they don’t have any spirit to go against the CM. They can’t speak in favour of the people and they can’t raise issues of importance. However, they seem well fed, perhaps because of being allowed to make as much money as they want  - for themselves and their kith and kin.

 

 Do you think the recent ‘andolan’, which was transformed into a political movement by Arvind Kejriwal, could be an answer - or is there something more required?

The movement by Kejriwal started on a positive note but it was gobbled up by the ambitions of its top leadership. The name of the party was good, the symbol was good but the aspirations of the leaders were too big, and they did not remain connected to the ground. We must not forget that politics is for empowering people, and making them in charge of their lives. It is only when this happens through the ballot mode that there will be real democracy in this country.

 

If Kejriwal’s experiment is a failure, then do you think the politics represented by PM Modi, and centred around the BJP philosophy, would be more successful in this country? 

Modi has started on a positive note, and he has got a massive mandate. His intention is also good… but this cannot be said about the entire BJP leadership, which has not been tried and tested. The Prime Minister has the ability to drive this government but he has to take hold of the bureaucracy, and make it accountable. Unless the message goes that this PM means business, nothing is going to change in this country. The distribution of Lok Sabha tickets in the BJP was quite immature, and many outsiders – including those from the Congress - were given tickets. If the same happens in the State polls, there would be disillusionment in the Party rank and file, and people with no commitment to ideology would come to power. That would not be what the government wants.  Also, the Party needs to realise that it has to side with the people, as the government would always would be on the side of business and industry. The interest of the people has to be safeguarded by the Party and its leaders, by keeping a watchful eye on government functioning. This did not happen in the Congress rule, as the Party became the government and vice versa - leading to one of the worst electoral disasters in its history.

 

How did you come to start your political life in a State (Haryana) that was far away from Calcutta, where you started your career?

The change in my life started in 1968, when I was 27 and teaching in Calcutta. Influenced by the Naxalite movement, which wanted to bring about revolution by the gun, and the Arya Samaj movement, I felt the urge to cross to the other side of India. In Haryana the Arya Samaj movement had great influence. At that time Haryana had some of the poorest people in this region, despite it surrounding Delhi from three sides. Along with my group I went to different villages, where people asked us to make speeches, but we discussed issues with them and listened to their problems. The response was very good. People wanted to tell us about the ground situation, how liquor was destroying their villages and families, how the agriculture system was failing and there was no development. In October 1968 we organised a long march of 200 men from Kurukshetra to Delhi (Red Fort). The response was great. We were able to connect with the rural masses and make them realise that change was possible. 

 

Forty years from that long march how do you see the situation in the state today? Have things changed much?

No doubt things have improved, also because of education and the media. Exchanging information has become easier. The politicians have more fear of the masses. But unfortunately much of the ground situation has remained the same; it may be less brazen, but it is more insidious now. More people seem to want to collude with, rather than oppose, the corrupt leaders - which was not the case earlier. However there is still hope and dynamism in Haryana, and if the people are given a proper chance I think they still have the capacity and moral strength to end this misrule and corruption.  Another thing that I want is a stoppage of the sale of liquor. It has somehow become synonymous with modernity. A study has made it clear that to earn Rs 100 in excise from liquor, the government spends Rs 127 on liquor related health, accidents and other myriad things that debilitate this nation.

 

How do you see Gurgaon as a city, and what is your message to the residents?

Gurgaon today represents much of the best of India but the people should realise that the country is not shimmering with glass towers and chrome buildings. There is a huge population that is poor, lacks infrastructure, education and health - and even in parts of Gurgaon this is a reality. It is important for the future of this city that it reduces the disparity between the rich and poor, and haves and have nots - else there would be a big unrest. This is perhaps going to happen in the entire country. I hope PM Modi is able to manage this onerous problem somehow. The challenges are huge. However, there is much wisdom that we can derive from our past…from our roots.

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