PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has ordered the installation of CCTV cameras and posting of policemen 24x7 at two locations in Goa -- below Amona bridge on both sides i.e. Amona and Candola (PWD Property) and Property bearing Survey No.114/2, Bhati, Oxel Village, Siolim (Fisheries Department property) -- that are known hotspots for illegal sand mining.
Issuing a fresh set of measures -- this time more stringent than the last -- the High Court bench of Justices M S Sonak and M S Jawalkar pulled up the state authorities who they said were being readily hoodwinked by the illegal miners thus allowing illegal mining to carry on unabated.
“According to us, the persons involved in illegal sand mining are out to hoodwink the authorities. Unfortunately, we find that in many cases even the authorities appear to be too eager to be hoodwinked,” the High Court said.
“Despite several orders, illegal sand mining activity continues… The authorities, who were duty-bound to prevent this sand mining, do not appear to be seriously interested in implementing the orders made by us from time to time,” the High Court noted.
“The police authorities, in particular, are most lax when it comes to preventing illegal and unauthorized sand mining. The Director-General of Police (DGP) must issue strict instructions to the concerned police stations to render all possible cooperation to the authorities taking steps to prevent illegal sand mining. The DGP should also issue strict instructions to all the concerned police stations to attend to the complaints about illegal sand mining, promptly. There are instances where the police authorities simply refuse to come to the sites. The DGP is expected to take action against the police officials who indulge in this type of dereliction of duties,” the High Court ruled.
The Petitioners -- The Goa River Protection Network -- had approached the High Court alleging that despite directions from the Court, sand miners were being allowed to carry on with their activities under the noses of the authorities.
“According to us, the installation of CCTV cameras at the two sites is quite imperative if the illegal sand mining is to be contained. Accordingly, we direct the State to install CCTV cameras at the above two sites, within 15 days from today and to report compliance. We further direct the State to depute police personnel at the above two sites round the clock, until further orders, so that these two sites are not used for illegal sand mining,” the High Court directed.
Among other directions, the High Court also accepted a statement by the Advocate General on behalf of the government that “the canoes involved in illegal sand mining will not only be seized but the same will be destroyed and rendered unusable before they are disposed of as scrap.”
The High Court also directed that “at least for the present the canoes that are found parked below Amona bridge and at Oxel-Siolim i.e. the two sites referred to above must be immediately seized and kept at a secured location, away from the river banks.”
“According to us, the RTO authorities should stop every truck transporting sand because, presently, there are no permits issued for the extraction of sand to any party within the State of Goa. Prima facie, therefore, transportation of sand will amount to transportation of illegally extracted sand”, the High Court said.
