The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Haryana government to explain how it plans to deal with the severe environmental damage caused by illegal mining in Pichopa Kalan village, Charki Dadri, in the Aravalli region.

A Division Bench of Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Rohit Kapoor also asked the government to submit a detailed plan to stop ongoing illegal mining and protect natural resources.

Facts:

This order, issued on January 31, came after a petition said that a company with a mining lease was carrying out mining beyond the permitted areas in Pichopa Kalan.

“We may take judicial notice of environmental concerns resulting from worsening air quality as well as depleting water table, which pose serious concerns. The facts placed on record in this Writ Petition indicate as to how in the name of mining, such damage to environment is being carried out. The mechanism contemplated to contain destruction and damage to environment has prima facie failed to check the menace,” the Court observed.

Given the seriousness of the issue, the Bench also involved the Union of India through the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, urging it to address the wider environmental problems and suggest solutions.

A mining officer's inspection report showed that a nearby hill at the Pichopa Kalan site had almost disappeared, leaving huge pits, excavated trenches, and steep cliffs. An Advocate Commissioner’s site visit confirmed the petition's claims.

“The Advocate Commissioner, having inspected the site on 06.12.2025 has submitted his report as well as Drone survey report in a Pen Drive which have been perused by us. What is seen with the naked eye, is not only disturbing but is also bewildering. It prima-facie appears to be a case of blatant violation of Environmental norms contained in the Environmental Clearance Certificate as well as mining plan causing loot and plunder of natural resources,” the Court stated.

The Bench criticized the authorities for their “callousness” in performing their duties and suggested that officials responsible for enforcement might have been colluding.

It was noted that the mining officer recommended cancelling the lease only after the writ petition was filed.

“Although, by this communication, the District Mining Officer, has recommended cancellation of mining lease granted in favour of respondent No.9 but a careful perusal of it raises more questions about the conduct of the state officials. The recommendation made refers to instances of accidents and lack of adherence to Environmental norms and terms of lease, yet, the primary reason for cancellation is the economic unviability of further mining in the area. The exact reason for recommending cancellation, in the words of the Mining Officer is ‘taken together, these factors strongly indicate that the continuation of mining operations at the site is becoming increasingly less feasible, both economically and technically’,” the Bench noted.

Despite this recommendation, no further action was taken. The Mining Officer said orally that the mining lease was later cancelled, but the Court rejected this claim because no documents were produced to support it.

The Bench viewed it prima facie as an attempt by officials to conceal violations.

“It is with utter sense of despair that we record that notwithstanding the letter of the Mining Officer dated 01.10.2025, no action at the level of the Director General has followed. It appears that the office of the Director General Mines and Geology, Haryana has turned a blind eye to rampant violations committed in the mining area,” it remarked.

A post-order document submitted to the Court was also questioned by the Bench.

“The order produced in Court does not refer to serious violations of EC Certificate/mining plan etc. It proceeds on the premise that further mining operations are economically and technically unviable. By omitting to refer to the breach of EC conditions/mining plan the order virtually condones all illegalities and endeavours to legalise it by enforcing the mine closure plan,” it observed.

The Court pointed out that the mining clearance certificate included numerous environmental safeguards, none of which were adhered to on-site.

“Various newspapers reports have also been annexed with the Writ Petition to show that the villagers have resorted to a wide spread protest on account of illegal mining in the Village but all such attempts have landed on deaf ears,” it added.

Deeming a thorough investigation necessary, the Court opted to first allow the State a chance to act.

“For such purposes, we direct the Chief Secretary to the Government of Haryana to examine the entire matter and to file his personal affidavit in response to the observations made by us, specifying as to how the State proposes to deal with the vast extent of environmental plundering prima facie observed by us in the matter. Not only that the responsibility of the private individuals but also those officials who were entrusted with compliance of laws and have defaulted in doing so, will have to be appropriately determined and dealt with as per law,” it directed.

The Court cautioned that unsatisfactory State response could lead to referral of the case to an independent agency. Meanwhile, the entire mining site has been sealed.

The next hearing is scheduled for February 25, with the Haryana Space Application Centre directed to submit year-wise satellite imagery of the site from 2016 to the present.

Case Title: M/S DHARAMPAL STONE CRUSHER AND OTHERS V/S THE STATE OF HARYANA AND OTHERS