Bhopal: The Central Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has declared nine sand mining permits void, calling them illegal. These permits were issued directly with the approval of the Principal Secretary, without evaluation by the SEIAA. The NGT stated that SEIAA approval is necessary; without approval, mining operations will not be permitted in any quarry. All cases have been returned to SEIAA for reconsideration.
This is the matter
No SIA meetings were held from March to May 2025. Chairman SNS Chauhan repeatedly wrote to Member Secretary R. Uma Maheshwari to convene a meeting, but she went on leave. Then, on May 23, acting Member Secretary Shriman Shukla, with the approval of Navneet Kothari, then PS of the Environment Department, issued 237 deemed approvals. The matter went to the Supreme Court, and the NGT has now declared them void.
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What is Sia?
SEIAA stands for State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). This organization grants necessary environmental approvals. According to the rules set by the Government of India, SEIAA has been granted powers at the state level. The Government of India grants approval for large projects, while SEIAA has the authority to grant permission in the case of smaller states. It should be noted that testing is essential in this process; no project can be approved without testing.
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