The principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which has taken suo motu notice of media reports regarding illegal quarrying behind Tata Cancer Hospital at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, served notices to the State Government agencies to respond to the alleged violations.
The news raises “substantial issues” relating to compliance with the environmental norms and implementation of the provisions of scheduled enactment, the Bench comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, expert members Dr. A. Senthil Vel, and Dr. Afroz Ahmad said.
The principal bench based in New Delhi has transferred the case to the Tribunal's western zonal bench at Pune and listed it for hearing on September 17.
The reports were based on the response received by environment watchdog NatConnect Foundation via the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the Raigad district administration that no permissions were issued for the quarry.
The principal bench directed the Raigad District Collector, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, the State Directorate of Geology and Mining, and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to file their response affidavits before the western zonal bench, at least one week before the next hearing.
NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar expressed his gratitude to the NGT for taking up the case and expressed the hope that accountability for not checking the blatant violation would be fixed.
Impact on Cancer Patients and Surrounding Infrastructure
Kumar emphasized that the quarrying must stop, as it jeopardizes the lives of cancer patients who already suffer from very low immunity. Additionally, the dust created by the blasting activities is the biggest threat to the medical equipment, which costs crores of rupees.
Despite the ongoing monsoon, blasting and crushing activities continue openly in broad daylight, without any regulatory checks. The ongoing quarrying activity is also endangering a major infrastructure project nearby—the upcoming Kharghar-Turbhe tunnel.
Experts have warned that continuous quarrying has loosened the soil in the surrounding hills, increasing the chances of landslides in the area. The NGT noted that the quarrying could pose a serious threat to both the tunnel construction and the safety of nearby residents and institutions.
Violation of Environmental Norms
The news item also states that activists have questioned how the authorities could allow such blasting in the hills, especially when it leads to dangerous dust clouds spreading into the Tata Hospital premises and nearby residential areas.
Jyoti Nadkarni, convenor of the Kharghar Hill and Wetland Forum, welcomed the NGT proceedings. She questioned how and why the authorities turned a blind eye to the gross violations. The RTI response is part of the official records of the district administration, which should have taken action against the indiscriminate quarrying months ago.