Legal sand mining starts in State
Pioneer News Service, Ranchi
After a long time significant relief for the general public and those involved in construction activities in Jharkhand. After a long wait, the process of legally extracting sand has finally commenced in the State.
As of Friday night, the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) has granted permission for the operation of eight sand ghats (riverbanks). Additionally, approval has been granted for the establishment and operation of 13 sand stockyards. Demonstrating promptness in this matter, the Department of Mines has generated online Challan IDs for all eight approved ghats and 13 stockyards.
On Saturday, in the Godda district, leaseholders officially initiated sand mining operations after depositing the requisite advance payments. However, in the state capital, Ranchi, the advance payment for the Shyamnagar sand ghat could not be deposited due to the absence of the District Mining Officer (DMO) from their office.
Nevertheless, to avoid any potential delays, the leaseholder has deployed their staff and security personnel at the ghat. According to reports, the Pollution Control Board has granted ‘Consent to Establish’ (CTE) for 15 additional sand ghats, and the process for granting ‘Consent to Operate’ (CTO) for these sites is currently in its final stages.
