NGT blocks desilting, mineral extraction at Bisalpur dam

Jodhpur: The National Green Tribunal has prohibited Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project Corporation Limited (ERCPCL) from proceeding with desilting, dredging, mineral extraction and disposal at the Bisalpur Dam in Tonk district without obtaining environmental clearance.

RCPCL, representing the Department of Mines, had issued online bids for the reclamation of storage capacity of the Bisalpur Dam by desilting.

In its order, the tribunal has barred all activities under the project involving dredging, desilting, extraction of silt or sand or gravel from the dam until the required environmental clearance is obtained as mandated by the Environment Impact Assessment Notification of 2006. Additionally, the NGT directed ERCPCL to comply with all environmental laws, obtain required consents, NOCs, clearances, etc. before proceeding with desilting in the dam.

The petitioner’s counsel Sanjeet Purohit submitted that bid placed was not aligning with the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines of 2016 and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining of 2020.