Peshawar: A Peshawar High Court (PHC) bench on Tuesday instructed the deputy commissioner of Mardan to launch strict action against the people involved in unauthorised mining and stone crushing within district boundaries and submit a report in this regard, according to news sources.
Reportedly, the court was moved by a petition claiming that some entities were involved in unlawful stone crushing during night time in residential areas of Mardan, which increases atmospheric pollution. In response, the two-member PHC bench instructed the deputy commissioner to submit the progress report of the court including the details of the people involved in the illegal stone crushing and mining, and preventive measures taken to stop them. The PHC bench iterated that it doesn’t want to disrupt the legal businesses but those involved in illegal activities must be dealt with.
The deputy commissioner assured the court that a crackdown on illegal stone crushing units have been conducted by the district administration and it will not spare anyone still involved in secret illegal activities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) representatives also made their remarks before the court and were ordered to submit a report detailing how crushing plants were operating both with and without getting no-objection certification (NOCs) from the agency, so appropriate measures can be taken.
Nauman Ahmad is an imaginative Pisces whose love for literature and nature is unparalleled. When he's not reading or hiking, he's sleeping and eating, which gives him plenty of energy for his next adventure.
