PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday directed the Mardan deputy commissioner to take strict action against the people involved in illegal stone crushing and mining in the district and submit progress report in this regard.

A two-member bench consisting of PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Syed M Attique Shah directed the deputy commissioner, Habiubullah Arif, not to spare any individual as elements involved in such illegal acts were playing havoc with the environment.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by a citizen, Sher Bahadur, who claimed that certain elements were involved in illegal stone crushing during nighttime in some residential areas in Mardan that resulted in polluting the atmosphere.

The bench directed the deputy commissioner to submit progress report to the court wherein the number of cases registered against those involved in illegal stone crushing and mining should be mentioned along with other steps taken for stopping the illegal business.

The PHC chief justice observed that the court did not want to damage legal businesses of people but those involved in illegal activities must be dealt in with an iron hand.

Apart from the deputy commissioner, a deputy director for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mohammad Mumtaz, and an assistant commissioner in Mardan, Shamsuz Zaman, also turned up before the bench.

The petitioner’s counsel, Noor Badshah, stated that earlier the high court had issued different orders, directing the administration to take action against illegal mining and stone crushing activities.

He said that despite those orders, certain elements were involved in such illegal activities during nighttime near populated areas, which was a matter of concern for the petitioner and other citizens. He contended that the activities of such elements were contributing to environmental degradation in the relevant areas.

The deputy commissioner informed the bench that administration in Mardan fully complied with the court’s order and launched a crackdown on the responsible persons. He stated that they sealed several of the stone crushing plants and also registered FIRs against the responsible persons.

However, he stated that if still some elements were secretly continuing the said activities, the administration would take action against them and would not spare anyone.

The bench asked him to ramp up efforts so that the elements involved in illegal activities did not achieve their nefarious designs.

The EPA deputy director informed the court that in accordance with the court’s order they had inspected different crushing plants in Spenkai area.

He said that three of the plants were sealed, five others had also not obtained ‘no objection certificate’ from EPA.

He added that those plants were also not following the environmental standards.

The bench directed him to submit a detailed report as to how crushing plants were functioning without getting NOCs from EPA. It was added that if other crushing plants were functioning without NOCs and meeting the environmental standards, the same should be pointed out in the report.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2022