The Supreme Court order had made it mandatory for the State Governments to set up Environment NOC Committees for mining and kiln making. But the State Government did not take the SC order seriously thus bungled the crucial mining and brick kiln making operations. The non-issuance of NOC has triggered acute shortage of bricks, sand, gravels and other construction material and subsequently the rise in prices to unimaginable magnitude.
Nagpur News.
The prices of construction material like bricks, gravels (Gitti), sand have started to rocket and touching the skies following the Supreme Court order banning mining and kiln manufacturing without instant permission from the Environment NOC Committees of respective State Governments. The prices of the material have been souring to new high as the mining and kiln making has come to a grinding halt. The Supreme Court ban, keeping in mind protection of the fragile environment, has pushed the mining firms and brick kiln owners, and lakhs of other people concerned with the activities, to miserable condition in Nagpur and across the country.
And if the state of affairs continues for long, the construction would take a severe beating in the coming days.
The condition, specifically in Maharashtra, has become worst as the senseless State Government has not set up Environment NOC Committee till today. More than 1000 brick kiln owners and contractors dealing with mining have submitted applications for the crucial NOC. However, the applications have been pending with State Government since months. The non-issuance of NOC has triggered acute shortage of bricks, sand, gravels and other construction material and subsequently the rise in prices to unimaginable magnitude.
SUPREME COURT ORDER:
According to sources, the Supreme Court order had made it mandatory for the State Governments to set up Environment NOC Committees for mining and kiln making. But the State Government did not take the SC order seriously thus bungled the crucial mining and brick kiln making operations. The utterly irresponsible attitude of State Government has put the mining contractors, brick kiln owners and other lakhs of people connected with the business in terrible situation of starvation as they are finding it very difficult to run the families in their day-to-day life. They have rightfully blamed deliberate delaying of setting up of the Committee n the part of the Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for reasons better known to him only. Several States have already formed the Committees and are issuing NOC to mining firms and brick kill manufacturers.
NOC FOR BRICK KILNS TOO:
According to Supreme Court order, even the NOC for brick kiln manufacturers has been made mandatory. The NOC is mandatory for not only the big manufacturers but the small ones, too. The businessmen got activated soon after the Apex Court order and rushed to Nagpur Collector’s Office and submitted the applications for the NOC. More than 1000 applications are gathering sand and brick dusts since past months as no move has been initiated to clear the applications for issuing the NOC.
BRICK KILNS DOWN, PRICES HIGH:
The no NOC factor has forced brick kilns go down the ashes and the acute shortage is a pointer to it. The more the shortage more the higher prices. And more the shortage and the higher prices lesser the constructions. And the subsequent horrible chain reaction and cascading effect with more and more people going jobless. The next 3-4 months would prove disastrous if the NOC problem is not resolved by a heavy hand (Read Chief Minister).
ROAD DEVELOPMENT WOULD FACE ROADBLOCK:
Apart from brick shortage, other materials required for new road constructions, would face the roadblocks in the forms of supply of sand, gravels (Gitti) as the mining companies, too, have been waiting for the NOC. Several mining activities have come to grinding halt after expiry of stipulated mining period. The net outcome is shortage of sand, gravels, boulders, chips and other material. And no new roads and other constructions.
CHIEF MINISTER HOLDS THE KEY:
According to the businessmen, the Chief Minister holds the key to the NOC. The CM should intervene and set up the Committee immediately in order to ease the problem in a big way. The NOC would again begin the mining and brick manufacturing thus removing the shortage and bringing down the prices substantially.
UNEMPLOYMENT:
The mining and brick kiln activities are generally carried out in the rural areas and the halting of the activities would create monstrous problems for rural youths and other people as they would be robbed of jobs and the subsequent starvation and other day-to-day livelihood chores. The remedy to avoid the dreadful situation lies with the State Government by urgently forming of the Environment NOC Committee.
