NGT asked to ban quarries, stone crushers

SHILLONG: The A’chik Indigenous Justice Initiative Forum (AIJIF) has submitted a petition to the Chairperson, National Green Tribunal (NGT), demanding closure of all illegal stone quarries and stone crusher units in Garo Hills.
AIJIF director Alex K Sangma informed that illegal stone quarries and stone crushers were destroying the landscape and the environment besides polluting the air and water in the region.
The Forum further alleged that there were around 35 illegal stone crusher units in Hallidayganj and Garobadha which were operating in gross violation of the norms and guidelines set down by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.
The Forum also claimed that the non tribal owners had violated the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution by establishing their business under the jurisdiction of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) without obtaining necessary legal documents like trading license and without paying professional   taxes to the GHADC. They also violated guidelines of the Union government like NOC from the MoEF and pollution clearance certificate from the State Pollution Control Board.
“If the NGT can stop coal extraction, why can it not stop illegal extraction of stones from Garo Hills, Meghalaya?” the AIJIF president asked, while demanding stringent laws to prevent transportation of stones and boulders to Bangladesh and the neighbouring states.
The AIJIF also asked the NGT authorities to investigate and punish those officials who were associating with the quarry and illegal mining activities and further sought awareness about the potentially negative impacts of quarrying.