There is rain & flood all around us. Environment is at the top of most of our minds. We would think it is also the top concern of a chief minister whose state is prone to nature’s blowbacks. It seems not.
In February this year, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami lobbied personally with the Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to revive permission to mine four rivers running through forestland as the 10-year forest clearance was set to expire. Besides, the Chief Minister wanted permission to mine even during June, which is one of four monsoon months during which mining is prohibited to help rejuvenate the rivers.
After the meeting between leaders of the same political colour, the Union environment ministry granted permission in a jiffy to continue mining the rivers.
In its latest investigation, The Collective found that the ministry granted the permission going against many court orders and a bunch of environmental safeguards and laws designed to protect forests and rivers.
The ministry’s action signalled environmental safeguards for natural resources are up for negotiation based on the push and pull of politics.
One of the rivers affected is Gaula, a lifeline for the city of Haldwani, which has suffered greatly from deforestation, excessive mining, and pollution. It turns into a trickle during lean seasons.
Documents reveal that despite the state government's failure to meet environmental protection conditions associated with licence granted to mine rivers on forestland, the Union government repeatedly approved mining in Gaula.
Above all, the ministry disregarded the fact that the state miner has been an environmental scofflaw, and allowed mining during the monsoon, a clear violation of established guidelines and court orders, including that of the National Green Tribunal.
The story by The Collective reporters Tapasya and Aggam Walia spotlights river mining in Uttarakhand, where the allure of financial gains from the sale of minerals, sand, and stones outweighed any concern for the environment.