Sloth bears killed due to mining activity in Andhra, alleges Chandrababu Naidu

The NGT recently appointed a committee to probe allegations of unauthorised laterite mining in Visakhapatnam district.
Sloth Bear in Ranthambore National Park
Sloth Bear in Ranthambore National Park
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Amid allegations of unauthorised bauxite and laterite mining in Andhra’s Visakhapatnam district, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu alleged that two sloth bears had been trampled and killed during alleged illegal mining activity. Naidu alleged that heavy vehicles involved in mining had killed two sloth bears, a vulnerable species, and dumped them in bushes at Bhamidika village, where the TDP  has alleged that illegal bauxite mining was being done in the guise of laterite mining. The Leader of Opposition also alleged that local residents had witnessed many instances of animals being crushed by vehicles in the region. 

Narsipatnam Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Suryanarayana said that so far, no such incidents were reported from the region. “Bhamidika village falls under revenue land, it is a purely unreserved forest area. So far, we have not received any such information from the mining areas here about any sloth bear deaths,” he told TNM. 

The TDP has alleged that the YSRCP government was allowing illegal bauxite mining to take place in Visakhapatnam district in the guise of laterite mining. Earlier in July, state Principal Secretary (Mines) Gopal Krishna Dwivedi denied these allegations, stating that in the contested area in Nathavaram mandal, only laterite presence had been detected as per reports of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). Dwivedi claimed that the government had taken action in instances where illegal mining of laterite was done in a quantity exceeding that permitted by the government. 

The NGT (National Green Tribunal) recently ordered the constitution of a joint committee to look into allegations of illegal laterite mining in Nathavaram mandal, on reviewing a petition by tribal residents of the region. The joint committee will include a senior official from the MoEF&CC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change), Visakhapatnam District Collector, District Forest Officer, and senior officials from the state Department of Mines and Geology Department and the Pollution Control Board. 

The NGT has tasked the committee with examining the land where mining has been taking place, to find whether all permissions and clearances are in order, whether excess mining or any other violations have been occurring, and the environmental impact of the mining activity, The Hindu reported.The petitioners had alleged unauthorised laterite mining activity in the region, and had also alleged that a road used by residents of tribal habitations had been expanded for the mining activity without proper permissions from authorities. 

TDP leaders have also alleged illegal gravel mining in the Kondapalli forest reserve area of Krishna district. A fact-finding committee who were on their way to ascertain allegations made by TDP leader Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, were put under house arrest on Friday, July 30, while Devineni Uma was arrested on charges of rioting and criminal conspiracy. The Andhra Pradesh high court has asked the state government to submit satellite images of the contested area in Kondapalli forest, while hearing a petition on illegal mining in the region. According to the Times of India, the state government accepted that it had encroached upon an irrigation canal for laying a road, but denied encroaching on any reserve forest land. 

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