NGT shocked as quarry violators allowed to pay penalty in instalments

CHENNAI: Expressing surprise over the district administration of Krishnagiri allowing the owners of illegal quarry owners to pay the penalty for violations in installments, the Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the administration to furnish reason for this.

The NGT has also pointed out that the district administration allowed to remove illegally mined minerals from the sites.

The Tribunal said that an alarming sum of Rs.321.81 Crore is levied as a penalty for the illegal quarrying of granite, gravel and rough stone. But surprisingly, the amount collected is only Rs. 20 lakh so far. There are three appeal petitions which are disposed of by the District Collector

and five appeal petitions to be disposed of by the Commissioner of Department of Geology and Mining. For those cases, in which no appeals have been preferred, the action is yet to be initiated for collecting penalty, the order said.

"It is also reported that 111 vehicles have been seized for the unauthorized transportation of minerals for the year 2021 – 22 and for the year 2022 – 23, 120 vehicles have been seized and action has been initiated against the offenders and the details of the cases said to be pending before the District Collector are not furnished, " the Tribunal added.

The Tribunal noted that illegal quarrying owners are permitted to pay the penalty amount in installments. Surprisingly, they are also granted permits to remove the illegal quarried minerals even before they could deposit the entire penalty amount and directed the district administration to file the reason as a report.

Directions have been issued to collector and mining department to dispose of all the appeals filed by the quarry owners within 2 months.

As per an earlier report filed by the collector, as many as 55 quarries were found to be in violation during the last two years and penalty has been imposed against 21 quarries.

After directing to file the reports, the Tribunal adjourned the hearing in July.