The area has come under threat due to cracks in fields and houses due to rock-based mining in the Bageshwar region of the state. In view of this, the government is now taking steps towards conducting rock-based mining in a safe manner. Under this, a detailed survey of the changes in the area due to earthquake and mining will be conducted for all the leases of rock-based mining. Also, for new leases, the leaseholder will have to get these areas surveyed. He will be allowed to mine only if the lease is found to be safe. At the same time, the old leaseholders will also have to get it surveyed within four months. In case the survey is not conducted till then, this mining lease will be cancelled. At present, there are mainly two types of rock-based mining in the state, one of these is limestone and the other is soap stone. This mining mainly takes place in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Chamoli areas. The government has also approved mining leases for this. There are about 150 mining leases in Bageshwar alone, while in the rest of the districts this number is around 100. Currently, mining is banned in Bageshwar as per the High Court’s instructions. In view of the possibility of damage from rock-based mining, a petition related to this was filed in the National Green Tribunal. On this, the Authority had asked the Department of Geology and Mining to issue guidelines keeping in mind the safety standards for the operation of rock-based mining leases. In this sequence, the government has issued guidelines for this. It has been clarified that the Department of Geology and Mining will get the work of micro earthquake monitoring done for all the approved mining leases of the state with the help of Wadia Institute. The Directorate of Geology and Mining will study the changes coming in the area due to mining in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS).
The work of slope stability analysis in new and approved mining lease areas will be done through private institutions through IIT Roorkee. Mining will be allowed only if all the reports are favorable. It has also been clarified that the private mining lease holders will have to bear the cost of the study to be conducted through IIT Roorkee. Secretary Geology and Mining BK Sant said that these guidelines have been issued for safe mining.
