G N G GROUP

Nainital: The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday issued notices to the state government, Centre, Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board on Wednesday after the Haridwar-based organisation Matri Sadan alleged that the state is allowing river mining under the guise of dredging and challenged the state's river dredging policy of 2021. The respondents have been asked to submit their responses in four weeks.
Matri Sadan seers said that there should first be a proper survey of the river and the mining area must be fixed so that the river flow remains unaffected.
The mining materials should be collected along the riverbank and the goods cannot be transported for commercial use without the Centre's nod, the seers said, citing the state's river dredging policy.
The PIL stated that the government is openly conducting commercial activities in the name of dredging which is also against an earlier HC order. Seers of the Matri Sadan have often protested against mining and quarrying on Ganga, saying it would cause irreversible damage to the ecology.