NASHIK: The district administration has been directed to take action against the culprits indulged in illegal mining in Brahmagiri, Sahyadri mountain range. Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection and District Guardian Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has assured the members of Bramhagiri Kriti Samiti (action committee) that action would be taken against the guilty officials and excavators soon.
Yesterday, the members of the Brahmagiri Action Committee met Guardian Minister Bhujbal at his office in Nashik and gave a memorandum regarding the illegal mining taking place in the Brahmagiri and Sahyadri mountain range.
Nishikant Pagare, Mahant Ganeshanand Saraswati, Dattatraya Dhage, Jagbir Singh, Prakash Nikumbh, Kuldeep Kaur and other office bearers of the comittee were present.
The letter states, “Brahmagiri Metghar, the first fort in the Sahyadri mountain range has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, a private developer under the project ‘Brahma Green’ has illegally carried out mining by using gelatin sticks at Suplicha Met.
While illegal excavations in the Brahmagiri range, a place of worship for millions of devotees, are likely to lead to accidents like Malin tragedy, the forest department, revenue department, mining officials and district administration have allegedly ignored it.
While the Brahmagiri tragedy is being protested from all levels, the entire mountain has been damaged by the illegal excavations that have been going on for many years in the Santosha, Bhagadi mountain range near Nashik, which is an environmentally sensitive zone. Such illegal excavations on a large scale in the entire district are breaking the shackles of Sahyadri. It is said to have caused irreparable damage to wildlife, environment, biodiversity and endangered the entire ecosystem,” it stated.
“The government is also responsible for the conservation and protection of the Sahyadri range, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The land on the hill slopes of the Sahyadri mountain range should be used to increase the green cover of the state up to 33% by protecting the fair rights of the tribals.”
All the culprits in Brahmagiri excavation should be investigated and action should be taken. It has been demanded that the gelatin sticks used in Brahmagiri and Sahyadri excavations should also be thoroughly probed, “
Guardian Minister Chhagan Bhujbal took note of this incident and ordered to take action against the culprits regarding illegal excavations taking place in Brahmagiri and Sahyadri mountain range. Bhujbal has assured that soon the incident will be thoroughly investigated and action will be initiated against the guilty officers and illegal miners.