By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Government has taken exception to the delay by Lafarge Umiam Mining Private Ltd (LUMPL) in handing over the proposed land to allow the Government to start the process of compensatory afforestation.
As a penalty for carrying out limestone mining in forest land measuring about 116.589 hectare at Nongtrai Shella in East Khasi Hills district to facilitate supply of limestone to its cement plant located in Bangladesh, the Supreme Court in its ruling on July 6, 2011 had directed LUMPL to pay certain amount to the State Government for compensatory afforestation from April 1, 2007 towards Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
The government, which was supposed to start tree plantation within the monsoon season, but delay by LUMPL in handing over the land has led to a delay in the afforestation programme.
“The Government is authorised to direct the LUMPL to close down their mining operations if they do hand over the land for compensatory afforestation in time,” Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong said recently.
He also said that he is aware that it is almost one year since the apex court had directed Lafarge to convert the non-forest area into forest land as part of the compensatory afforestation.
“As per my knowledge, the company is trying to locate land somewhere in Garo Hills for the compensatory afforestation. The Government would pursue with the LUMPL for handing over the land at the earliest,” Tynsong said.
Earlier, chairman of the LUMPL Board of Directors, Shivesh Sinha, had claimed that the company had already deposited a total amount of Rs 3 crore with the State Government to carry out a drive to plant around 4 lakh saplings in around 470 hectares of land.
“Under compensatory afforestation, about 4 lakh trees would be planted in an area of 470 hectares in Meghalaya. Planting of saplings should be carried out by the State Forest department and we have already deposited Rs 3 crore towards CAMPA,” Sinha had claimed.