 "Illegal bauxite mining in Jharkhand: NGT forms panel, seeks report")
The National Green Tribunal has formed a panel and asked it to submit a factual and action-taken report on the alleged illegal mining of bauxite in Jharkhand's Lohardaga.
The NGT was hearing a petition which was registered following a media report on illegal bauxite mining in Lohardaga.
Lohardaga is also known as the 'Bauxite Town' of the country.
A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava referred to the news report on large-scale, rampant illegal mining of bauxite, which was clandestinely transported in trucks having forged number plates.
The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, in a recent order, said, The news item reveals that a substantial issue relating to compliance of environmental laws is involved.
We deem it proper to form a joint committee comprising of the representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Member Secretary, Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board and the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) concerned, the bench said.
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It said the DFO will act as a nodal agency for coordination and compliance.
The committee will examine the issue and will submit the fact-finding and action taken report before the Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata, the tribunal said.