JAIPUR: More than 30,000 mines operating in the state without environmental clearance will be closed down from Thursday as the Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant a stay order on their closure.
The apex court has also postponed the hearing till August 20. With this, the ruling of the Rajasthan High Court will now be imposed and mines without green clearance will be shut down.
The state government along with Rajasthan Mining Federation had filed a special petition leave challenging the HC order. However, the three-judge bench declined to interfere with the high court order and asked the petitioner Dinesh Bothra to present his case on August 20.
Earlier, the HC asked all the existing mining leases, quarry licenses and short term permit holders to get the clearance from State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority in three months. With the miners' failure in receiving the clearance, court ordered to seize the mines. The three months end on July 9. In its earlier ruling on February 27, 2012, the SC made it mandatory even for the mines under 5 hectares to get the clearance.
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