Striking a Balance: Mining and Nature

Posted by shivarajan80 on January 16th, 2017

Justice Dalip Singh, judicial member, Central Bench, Bhopal of National Green Tribunal (NGT), said that major issues in the state are mining and forests, in a recent meeting at a seminar on 'legal awareness of environment issues: role of courts and national green tribunal' in Jaipur. "Minerals are found in forest areas. But, we have to protect the forest areas from getting affected due to mining. On the other hand, mining is also required as we need minerals. So, there should be a balance between the two," Singh said.

Singh also emphasised that there is a need for research and development. "We have not invested so far in research. Not a single ministry has done any research on it." he said.

However, as per reports and industry veterans, the resources for mining in India are not as limited as they seem. Reports suggest that India is not using its complete potential for mining, especially in the sector of beach minerals.

“I agree on the point that even more research and development is required to spot the appropriate areas for mining purposes. But it is also a fact that India is not short of resources and the mining industry can grow tremendously if government comes up with policies to favour efficient and nature-friendly mining practices.” said Vaikundarajan, MD & CEO of V. V. Minerals. V. V. Minerals is the largest sand mining company in India.