`Illegal’ mining by Sagar Cements, NCL Industries in Suryapet’s SRF: Telangana HC issues notice to Centre, state

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court has issued notice to the state and central governments over alleged illegal mining in Sultanpur Reserve Forest (SRF) in Suryapet district.

A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar asked state and central governments to furnish reasons for not restraining Sagar Cements Limited and NCL Industries Limited as they are conducting mining operations allegedly in the area not allocated to them.

The court issued notice to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate, Government of India; Principal Secretaries to the Government Forest Department, Industries and Commerce, Government of Telangana; Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Director of Mines and Geology, TG; Collector Suryapet district; and the Pollution Control Board, Telangana.

Both Sagar Cements Limited and NCL Industries Limited are carrying out alleged illegal mining of cement, production of clinker in Sultanpur Reserve Forest, and limestone in Mattampally villages, over and above the areas, demarcated to them for the mining operations.

NCL Industries Limited was granted a lease of 208.9 hectares in Compartment No. 14 for 10 years, but later the lease area was reduced to 46.356 hectares.

Despite this, NCL Industries is unauthorisedly resorting to mining operations in Compartment No. 13. Sagar Cements Ltd., has encroached into 65.38 hectares of forest land and is carrying out its mining operations in the Sultanpur reserve forest area, due to this illegal mining by these two companies, the State exchequer is at a loss.

The Court was adjudicating the writ petition filed by Karnati Venkata Reddy, an advocate from Sarvaram village, Garidepally Mandal, Suryapet, seeking directions to the state and central governments to probe into the illegal mining operations being done by both companies.

The matter has been adjourned by 4 weeks.