Matra sadan opposes CM’s decision to open mining

DAINIK NATION BUREAU

A day after the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that the mining activities would resume in the district from October 1, regardless of the opposition, Matri Sadan chief Swami Shivanand said that the CM could not violate the order of the High Court and the guidelines laid down by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Ironically, on August 25, 43 stone crushing units had been sealed in Haridwar by the district magistrate Deepak Rawat in the wake of a contempt application moved in the court by a Haridwar-based environment activist, Brahmachari Dayanand who is also associated with Matri Sadan ashram. He had alleged in his petition that the state government had failed to take any action despite HC having ordered repeatedly to have the stone crushing plants closed. Following the HC order, the DM had formed five teams who had later shut down all the stone crushers operating in the district in 24 hours.

Launching a scathing attack on the CM, the Matri Sadan seer said on Tuesday that the statement that some were born only to raise harangues over everything while referring to the resistance of the ashram to mining activities without directly naming it was unbecoming of the CM. “Such a statement goes against the sanskars he claims to be nurturing. The head of a state can hardly stoop so low. His lack of concern about the cause my ashram is fighting for is understandable. But the same for the state’s High Court is something that is serious,” the seer said.

Speaking to The Pioneer, he said, “A chief minister as the head of the state takes pledge to abide by the directives laid down in  the Indian Constitution.  How can he dismiss the High Court and the National Green Tribunal in the same manner he dismisses us?” he asked.

The High Court had earlier asked the state’s chief secretary, secretary, industrial department and district magistrate Haridwar to reply why the stone crushing units had not been shut down despite the order issued on May 3. “As per the National Green Tribunal ruling,  no mining activity can be carried out within five km radius of Ganga riverbed as it makes a significant impact on the environment as stated in EIA report,” he said. Shivanand  further alleged that while  the state government keeps flaunting its resolve to  save Ganga  it is in reality allowing the holy river to be robbed of her  resources. “Mining is being carried out with impunity beyond the permissible limits which the DM himself admitted in his inspection report and had the stone crushing units sealed,” he added.