Jammu, Feb 6:
The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered the closure of 158 stone crushers and hot mix plants between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2026, for operating in violation of environmental norms, Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Javed Ahmed Rana said on Friday.
Replying to a question by MLA Ajaz Ahmad Jan in the Assembly, Rana said the J-K Pollution Control Committee issued closure directions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Jan informed that units are permitted to establish only after meeting the prescribed pollution control criteria and installation of required pollution control devices. Legal action is initiated against violators in line with directions of the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court, he added.
The minister mentioned that all riverbed mining projects are regulated through the environmental clearance mechanism, with mandatory compliance to Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016, besides measures like water sprinkling, covered transportation and restricted mining hours.
He added that remote sensing and GIS tools are being used to verify siting criteria and distance certificates.