The chief minister of Manipur during an emergency meeting on “regulation of illegal mining activities” at the chief minister secretariat said that government should take steps to issue legal mining permits as per rules to mitigate the distress of labourers engaged in sand mining activities.

Acting in accordance to what the chief minister said, the additional chief secretary of Manipur, Sohail Aktar said the deputy commissioners are instructed to immediately activate the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority, assisted by the District Expert Appraisal Committee headed by the Water Resources Department.

The chief minister was briefed on the orders passed by High Court of Manipur under PIL No. 5 of 2019 which inter-alia completely bans unauthorized stone quarrying, sand mining and river pollution. 

The deputy commissioners, superintendent of police and Divisional Forest Officers are also instructed to take immediate appropriate preventive actions, the addl. chief secretary added.

He also informed that the applicants for mining shall submit their application for mining lease along with the mining plan (prepared by qualified/ registered mine planner) for private patta lands for an area less than five hectares to the directorate of Trade, Commerce and Industries.

Sohail continue saying that the proposals will be forwarded to the District Authority for Environmental Clearance and proposals which are found feasible shall be forwarded to the director of Environment Manipur for environmental clearance by the State Level Expert Committee. Based on the clearance the directorate of Trade Commerce and industries will issue the permits, he added.

He said, in respect of water ways, till the potential quarry sites are identified by the water Resources Department and tender is floated for the same, the Public Works Department will be provided temporary permits for two months for certain quarry sites in consultation with Water Resources Department on submission of their mining plans.

Further in such quarries, machineries shall be strictly prohibited and areas in the river channel which has been degraded will be permitted for quarry.

 A joint committee will be constituted consisting of the departments of textiles, Commerce and Industry, Forest and Environment and Water Resources where they will immediately take up an awareness program on the process and procedure of obtaining mining permit on August 3 at Food Processing Training Centre, Porompat at 11 in the morning.

The chief Minister chaired emergency meeting was attended by ministers of Revenue, Forest and Environment, Water Resources, concerned MLAs, DGP, administrative secretaries of Forest and Environment , Textiles, Commerce and Industries, Water Resources, ADGP and IGP, all deputy commissioners, superintendents of police, divisional forest officers and general managers of district industries centres.