Uttarakhand HC Permits Soapstone Auction, Directs Govt to Restore Mined Land
Nainital: The Uttarakhand High Court has approved the auction of soapstone mining stock in Bageshwar district while directing the state government to immediately fill mining pits to prevent further topographical damage during the monsoon season.
The order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra on Monday, in response to multiple petitions concerning the environmental impact of soapstone mining in Kanda tehsil, which villagers claim has damaged houses, farmland, and water pipelines.
The court granted permission to auction the previously mined soapstone stock under the supervision of a three-member committee. This decision followed earlier suggestions by the High Court to form an auction panel. The amicus curiae proposed the names of Padma Shri historian Dr Shekhar Pathak, Dr Ravi Chopra, Anoop Nautiyal, and Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala for overseeing the auction.
Accepting the proposal, the court appointed Dr Shekhar Pathak as the committee chairman. The panel will now issue public advertisements in national newspapers for the soapstone auction. The funds generated will be deposited in a separate bank account and used for environmental compensation. The process is to be completed within six weeks and will remain under court supervision.
The court also issued strict directions to the state government to fill all mined pits immediately, emphasizing the need to prevent monsoon-related hazards and environmental degradation.
Earlier, villagers in Kanda had written to the Chief Justice alleging that illegal mining from 147 soapstone mines—carried out using heavy machinery—had severely impacted the area, creating cracks in homes and damaging agricultural land and water supply infrastructure.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for June 23.