NGT takes suo motu cognisance of illegal quarrying behind ACTREC
The principal bench of the NGT in Delhi said that the quarrying matter suggests that it violated the Maharashtra Minor Mineral Rules, the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, and the Environment (Protection) Act.
The NGT directed the Raigad collector, the state pollution control board, the Nagpur directorate of geology and mining, and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to respond to them in an affidavit within a week. The case was then forwarded to the Pune western bench and scheduled for hearing on September 17.
The director of ACTREC, Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, had written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on July 10 highlighting the health hazards of the quarry blasting on the northwestern hill adjacent to the hospital. In his letter, Chaturvedi said, 'The dust blankets the residential areas and infiltrates the sterile treatment zones within the hospital. This poses an acute threat to the immunocompromised patients undergoing life-saving treatment such as bone marrow transplant and proton therapy.' The letter added that the hospital's equipment was under constant risk of contamination due to airborne particulate matter.
Founder of the NatConnect foundation, a not-for-profit company campaigning for the issues of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), BN Kumar, said, 'The quarrying work could also jeopardise the construction work for the Kharghar-Turbhe tunnel.' According to the aerial measurements, the quarrying stretch extends for more than half a kilometer along a stretch where dozens of trucks travel daily.
Responding to a Right to Information query by Kumar in July, the NMMC and the Raigad collector confirmed that they had not given any permissions for the quarrying works at the eco-sensitive location.
The convenor of the Kharghar Wetlands and Hills forum, Jyoti Nadkarni, raised concerns for the people who will be travelling through the tunnel. 'There cannot be a quarrying activity taking place close to a tunnel. The blasting is so loud that when people pass through it, one can feel the earth shaking,' said Nadkarni. She added that such stone work should not take place in the monsoon because it could destabilise the land and even cause landslides.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Telangana HC denies abortion plea for 28-week pregnant minor, directs continued care at Niloufer Hospital
HYDERABAD: Rejecting a plea for permission to terminate a 28-week pregnancy, the Telangana High Court has directed Niloufer Hospital for Women and Children in Hyderabad to provide continuous medical care to a pregnant minor and not discharge her until delivery. Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka instructed the hospital superintendent to ensure the girl's health and safety throughout the remainder of her pregnancy. According to the case details, the pregnancy resulted from the girl's relationship with her boyfriend. Under Indian law, sexual intercourse with a minor is classified as rape, regardless of consent. The court also asked the Department of Women's Development and Child Welfare, through its principal secretary, to extend full support to the girl via the Sakhi centre, including coordination with the police if needed. The matter will be heard again on October 29. The order was issued on a writ petition filed by the minor's mother, who had sought the constitution of a medical board under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021. The petitioner requested an urgent medical examination and termination of her daughter's pregnancy, citing a medical report dated July 22, 2025, which recorded gestational ages of 27 weeks for Twin A and 25 weeks for Twin B. Following an interim order dated July 25, 2025, a medical board examined the girl under Section 3(2)(b) of the MTP (Amendment) Act and submitted its report on July 28, 2025. After reviewing the findings and hearing both sides, the court declined to allow termination, citing the advanced stage of pregnancy, 28 weeks, as noted in the report. Justice Bheemapaka, while refusing the termination plea, directed that the minor receive uninterrupted medical assistance and support services during the remaining term.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
No strikes at PGI, Chandigarh, high court reiterates
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday disposed of a petition challenging protests by employee unions at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, while reiterating that no union would be allowed to obstruct patient care or disrupt the functioning of the hospital. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry clarified that the unions 'shall not enter the premises of the PGI' in a manner that causes 'obstruction to the movement of the patients or the employees or officers'. The bench was hearing a batch of petitions, including CWP No. 162 of 2024 and CWP No. 24 of 2024, which had challenged protests, strikes and alleged service disruptions at the premier medical institution. '162 is being disposed. 24 is the same,' the bench noted, indicating that both were being considered together. During the hearing, counsel for the Union of India, Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain, informed the court that issues relating to the validity of the central government notifications—central to the dispute—were currently under conciliation proceedings before the labour commissioner (central). The court recorded that the labour commissioner 'is about to decide' the matter and noted that further hearings would depend on the outcome of those proceedings. 'As regards the validity of the notifications… the same will be taken up after the Labour Commissioner submits [a decision], or if it fails to take up the issue, the court will hear it in the month of September,' the bench stated. The dispute stems from strikes by central government hospital employees against recent changes in service conditions, following the lapse of certain central notifications. However, the high court made it clear that any demonstration or protest or strike that affects medical services at PGIMER will not be permitted. The bench added that the challenge to the notification 'shall be taken up after the Labour Commissioner submits [a decision], or if the LC fails to do so, the same shall be taken up in the month of September'. The issue traces back to the expiry of an exemption granted to PGIMER under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970. Through a 2014 notification, the Ministry of Labour and Employment had prohibited the use of contract labour in sanitation, security, and catering services at PGIMER, acting on the advice of the Central Advisory Contract Labour Board (CACLB). PGIMER, however, subsequently sought and obtained exemptions under Section 31 of the Act. These were conditional upon the institute paying contract workers wages and benefits on par with the lowest-paid regular employees. These exemptions were renewed periodically—in 2018, 2020, and 2023—but the latest exemption expired on January 12, 2024. The institute applied for an extension, citing its continued need for contractual staff. However, the CACLB deferred a decision during its July 2024 meeting, as the matter was pending before the high court. According to minutes of a November 5, 2024, meeting placed on record in court, PGIMER stated it had cleared wage arrears for contract workers in compliance with the exemption conditions up to January 13, 2024. Officials from the ministries of Labour and Health, as well as PGIMER, acknowledged that under Rule 25(2)(v)(a) of the Contract Labour Rules, contract workers performing similar duties must be granted the same wages and working conditions as regular employees. In an interim order dated November 22, 2024, the high court had issued a writ of prohibition, restraining all PGIMER employees—regular or contractual—from striking during the pendency of conciliation proceedings. It had also directed the deputy chief labour commissioner (central), who is presiding over the conciliation process, to endeavour to conclude it within two months. The court further clarified that a strike would not be permitted after the conciliation ends—if adverse to the employees—without explicit permission from the court. With Wednesday's order, the court has formally disposed of petitions relating to the protest and obstruction of medical services. However, the broader question involving the validity of the central notifications remains pending, subject to the outcome of the ongoing conciliation process.
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
NGT takes suo motu cognisance of illegal quarrying behind ACTREC
Mumbai: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on August 4, took suo motu cognisance of the alleged illegal quarrying behind the Tata Memorial Hospital's Advanced Centre for Treatment and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) in Navi Mumbai. The NGT took up the matter at its own initiative following news reports, triggered by complaints from residents, activists and the hospital authorities. New Delhi, India - May 31, 2016: General View of National Green Tribunal in New Delhi , India, on Tuesday, May 31, 2016. (Photo by Arvind Yadav/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) The principal bench of the NGT in Delhi said that the quarrying matter suggests that it violated the Maharashtra Minor Mineral Rules, the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, and the Environment (Protection) Act. The NGT directed the Raigad collector, the state pollution control board, the Nagpur directorate of geology and mining, and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to respond to them in an affidavit within a week. The case was then forwarded to the Pune western bench and scheduled for hearing on September 17. The director of ACTREC, Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, had written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on July 10 highlighting the health hazards of the quarry blasting on the northwestern hill adjacent to the hospital. In his letter, Chaturvedi said, 'The dust blankets the residential areas and infiltrates the sterile treatment zones within the hospital. This poses an acute threat to the immunocompromised patients undergoing life-saving treatment such as bone marrow transplant and proton therapy.' The letter added that the hospital's equipment was under constant risk of contamination due to airborne particulate matter. Founder of the NatConnect foundation, a not-for-profit company campaigning for the issues of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), BN Kumar, said, 'The quarrying work could also jeopardise the construction work for the Kharghar-Turbhe tunnel.' According to the aerial measurements, the quarrying stretch extends for more than half a kilometer along a stretch where dozens of trucks travel daily. Responding to a Right to Information query by Kumar in July, the NMMC and the Raigad collector confirmed that they had not given any permissions for the quarrying works at the eco-sensitive location. The convenor of the Kharghar Wetlands and Hills forum, Jyoti Nadkarni, raised concerns for the people who will be travelling through the tunnel. 'There cannot be a quarrying activity taking place close to a tunnel. The blasting is so loud that when people pass through it, one can feel the earth shaking,' said Nadkarni. She added that such stone work should not take place in the monsoon because it could destabilise the land and even cause landslides.
