New Delhi, Jul 24 The NGT has directed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board to finalise proceedings to levy environmental compensation of over Rs 99 lakh against a private mining operator in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra district for illegal mining and environmental violations.
The green body was hearing a plea alleging that the project proponent, Arun Kumar, was engaged in hazardous mining by excavating dangerous pits, besides violating the environmental clearance (EC) conditions in Billi Markundi village of Robertsganj tensil in the district.
It also alleged that the EC granted in 2016 by the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) had not been reappraised by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), as required under the law.
In an order dated July 20, made available on Friday, a bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said that a panel formed earlier by the tribunal inspected the site and found several violations.
It noted that these included mining beyond the sanctioned lease area, excavation beyond permissible limits, absence of mandatory boundary pillars, failure to maintain benches and safe pit slopes, lack of green belt development, non-compliance with dust suppression measures, unauthorised groundwater extraction, waterlogging in deep mining pits, absence of health monitoring of workers, and failure to comply with other conditions.
The tribunal said that the project proponent, instead of obtaining EC's reappraisal, obtained a fresh EC from the SEIAA in May 2025 by suppressing material facts, but after the suppression came to light, the authority rejected the proposal and cancelled the approval in September 2025.
It said the material placed on record clearly established illegal mining beyond permissible limits along with multiple environmental violations.
The tribunal constituted a joint committee comprising representatives of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), the deputy director general of mines safety (northern zone), and the Sonbhadra district magistrate, and directed it to ensure that the backfilling work to fill up the deep pits is completed by the project proponent within six months and the "damaged area is restored to the original state".
It said, "The UPPCB has already initiated action by serving the show-cause notice dated May 8, 2025, on Respondent 6 (project proponent) for levying the environmental compensation of Rs 99,72,737 (over Rs 99 lakh) for violating environmental norms and for doing the excessive mining and causing damage to the environment."
The tribunal said that according to the UPPCB, the proceedings in pursuance of the show-cause notice are still pending.
It said, "The UPPCB is directed to finalise the proceedings and pass the appropriate order to levy environmental compensation by duly following the principles of natural justice within three months from today."
The other state authorities may also take appropriate action under the relevant mining rules for the illegal mining against the project proponent, the tribunal said.
