New Delhi, Dec 3: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that State is duty bound to restore the ecological imbalance and there must be some stringent measures which may have deterrent effect so that the violators may think twice before causing damage to the nature.
The top court said that at the time when large scale damages are being caused to nature, it is of the opinion that the violators cannot be permitted to go scot free on payment of penalty only. It said that sand and mines are public property and the State being its custodian should be more sensitive to protect the environment and ecological balance.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah made the observations in the verdict related to illegal sand mining in Madhya Pradesh and interpretation of section 23A of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 under which offences under the law can be compounded by paying up the penalty. The top court said that since the provisions of section 23A of MMDR Act is not challenged, the provision stands and it leave the issue of payment of penalty for causing damages to the nature “to the wisdom of the legislatures and the concerned states”.
The bench said it is the duty cast upon the State to restore the ecological imbalance and to stop damages being caused to nature as excessive in stream sand and gravel mining from river beds and like resources causes the degradation of rivers. (PTI)
