District
Magistrates should be asked for affidavits on earth digging underway
September 29, 2013: In a welcome move,
National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bench headed by Justice P. Jyothimani, Judicial
Member has banned digging of earth across the country for making bricks and
laying roads without prior environment clearance (EC) through its interim order
dated September 27, 2013. The next date of hearing is on October 7, 2013. Indiscriminate
digging of brick earth for brick making and ordinary earth for road making that
has been going on is taking a huge toll on environment in violation of the
Supreme Court’s order and direction from the Union Ministry of Environment
& Forests (MoEF).
There are more
than 10,000 operating units in the country that produce about 150-200 billion
bricks annually. Solid fired clay bricks are among the most widely used
building materials. India accounts for more than 10 percent of global
production. Since no agency in India keeps records of brick production, these
statistics are merely estimates cited by the industry. The topsoil that is used
for brick production results in land degradation. Impact of India’s brick
industry which is the second largest brick producer in the world after China on
soil, water, air, vegetation and human health merits rigorous scrutiny. Due to excessive
digging of earth for clay the vegetation is lost which leads to soil depletion.
After digging the sites are abandoned and no remedial measures like afforestation
and plantation is done, which leads to land degradation and depletion of
vegetation. Besides earth dogging for bricks, enormous digging of earth takes
place for road making.
NGT must seek
affidavits from each District Magistrate to fathom the extent of earth digging which
is contributing to shrinking of farm land.
Recalling the decision of the Supreme
Court in the case of “Deepak Kumar Vs. State of Haryana & Ors” and the directions
issued by the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) dated 18.05.2012 and
the 24.06.2013 to all States wherein MoEF has directed that digging of
brick-earth for brick making and ordinaryearth for road making from an area of
5 hectares or more in extent is to be categorised as B-1 project and those less
than 5 hectare shall be categorised as B-2 category and stipulated various
conditions for the purpose of obtaining Environmental Clearance (EC) in respect
of the clusters.
NGT order reads: “we restrain any
person, Company and Authority to carry out any such digging activities of brick
earth or ordinary earth against the directives issued by the MoEF dated
24.06.2013 in any part of the country without obtaining EC from the competent authority
as per the Notification. The Chief Secretaries of all the States/UTs are to
ensure strict adherence to this order.”
The order was passed on an application
pointing out violations by Uttar Pradesh but it is applicable to all the States.
For Details: Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), Mb: 09818089660, 08002263335,
E-mail-gopalkrishna1715@gmail.com,
Web: www.toxicswatch.org
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