"Regulate unlawful mining of natural resources"
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 23 2025: The Safe Environment Campaign Committee (SECC) has urged the State Government to regulate all forms of unlawful mining of natural resources under a legal framework to protect the environment.

A press release issued by Mutum Inaobi Singh, chairman, SECC, said that these activities not only harm the environment but also prevent revenue worth crores from going to the State Exchequer.

The SECC pointed out that the Manipur High Court issued an order imposing a ban on all forms of illegal mining in July, 2018 in response to a PIL filed in 2017, The SECC accused the State Government of failing to uphold the Manipur High Court order even after six years.

The SECC also alleged that illegal hill-earth excavation is currently being carried Out at Chingkhei Ching, Imphal East and Nongmaiching Reserve Forest.

It further alleged the involvement of a "high profile Minister" in the unlawful activity.

Despite peoples' efforts to stop such activities over the years, SECC said that such unlawful sand mining, stone quarrying and earth excavation continue unabated due to the alleged involvement of State legislators of the Government of the time.

The SECC and other aggrieved environmental organisations of the State have urged the Government to swiftly bring all unauthorised mining under strict regulation and thus facilitate the State Exchequer to receive crores in revenue and improve the State's economy.

If the authorities fail to meet their demands, they will resort to legal recourse, cautioned SECC .

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