Durga Shakti Nagpal: Difference between revisions

 

===Crackdown on illegal mining===

{{See also|Sand_mining#India|label 1=Sand mining in India|Mining scams in India}}

Most of the sand-mining activity in the [[National Capital Territory of Delhi|NCR]] region, comprising [[Noida]] (Uttar Pradesh), [[Faridabad]] (Haryana) and Delhi, is illegal as no environment impact assessment (EIA) has been carried out, and it is estimated that about 250 to 350 truckloads of sand is illegally [[dredge]]d every day. The cost of this sand varies from {{INRConvert|1|b|0}} per month<ref>{{cite news|title=Two held for illegal sand mining|url=http://www.vijaychowk.com/news/index.php/2013/06/26/two-held-for-illegal-sand-mining/|accessdate=31 July 2013|newspaper=Vijay Chowk|date=26 June 2013}}</ref> to {{INRConvert|5|b|0}} per annum.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sand mafia 'back' in action|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/Sand-mafia-back-in-action/articleshow/21498134.cms|accessdate=31 July 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=31 July 2013|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303124437/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/Sand-mafia-back-in-action/articleshow/21498134.cms|archivedate=3 March 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref> According to environmentalists and engineers, the massive amount of mining is responsible for soil-erosion and changing the natural flow of the Hindon and Yamuna, which shifted its course by about 500 metres toward east and posed a threat to flood embankments in six sectors of Noida.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sand mining causes Yamuna to shift 500m east, threaten Noida|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-10/noida/41266073_1_illegal-sand-dredgers-sand-mining-sand-mafia|accessdate=16 August 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=10 August 2013|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://archive.is/20130816123118/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-10/noida/41266073_1_illegal-sand-dredgers-sand-mining-sand-mafia|archivedate=16 August 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> A "Special Mining Squad" was established by the Noida district administration to curb sand mining and was expected to succeed,<ref>{{cite news|title=No check on illegal sand mining in Noida|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-22/noida/34652732_1_illegal-sand-developmental-projects-construction-costs|accessdate=31 July 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=22 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Grains of Despair: Sand mining in India|url=http://www.cseindia.org/node/3878|publisher=CSE India|accessdate=31 July 2013|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809002227/http://cseindia.org/node/3878|archivedate=9 August 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> but high demand of sand for increased construction activity, police inaction<ref>{{cite news|title=Cops’ Inaction Gives Sand Mafia A Free Run|url=http://yamunanews.com/news/NEWDELHI,NOIDA,GREATERNOIDA,YAMUNAEXPRESSWAY,NEWS,EVENTS,MUSIC,PHOTOS,VIDEOS,PRESSRELEASES/cops-inaction-gives-sand-mafia-a-free-run/|accessdate=31 July 2013|newspaper=Yamuna News|date=27 April 2013|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318153849/http://yamunanews.com/news/NEWDELHI,NOIDA,GREATERNOIDA,YAMUNAEXPRESSWAY,NEWS,EVENTS,MUSIC,PHOTOS,VIDEOS,PRESSRELEASES/cops-inaction-gives-sand-mafia-a-free-run/|archivedate=18 March 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and the political nexus with the "sand mafia" has ensured that various rules to safeguard the environment are regularly flouted.<ref>{{cite news|title=Most sand mining in NCR illegal: Activists|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Most-sand-mining-in-NCR-illegal-Activists/Article1-1100919.aspx|accessdate=31 July 2013|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=30 July 2013|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318162444/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Most-sand-mining-in-NCR-illegal-Activists/Article1-1100919.aspx|archivedate=18 March 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Downpour halts illegal sand mining|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-21/noida/40118297_1_sand-mining-vaibhav-bhatia-national-sand-supply-company|accessdate=31 July 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=21 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Illegal sand mining thrives in Noida|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-10/noida/29642175_1_sand-mining-sand-mafia-transport-sand|accessdate=31 July 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=10 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mafia thrives as Noida fails to curb sand mining|url=http://www.ercindia.org/ngtba/index.php/news/144-mafia-thrives-as-noida-fails-to-curb-sand-mining|publisher=National Green Tribunal Association Bar|accessdate=31 July 2013}}</ref>