Rajasthan High Court seeks reply from Central, State governments on plea to ban mining in hills revered by Lord Krishna devotees

The Jaipur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court last week sought the responses of the Central and State governments in a plea seeking a stay on mining activities at the Adi Badri and Kankhachal hills in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan [Mahek Maheshwari vs Union of India and ors]..A Bench of Justices Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Shubha Mehta issued notice in a public interest litigation petition filed by Mahek Maheshwari which said that hills are integral part of the sacred Braj region that is revered by millions of Lord Krishna devotees around the world and should be preserved. While the adjoining hill areas were declared 'protected forest' areas, the Adi Badri and Kankhachal Hills were left out, it was contended. "The aforesaid hilly area ... were somehow left out declaring it as protected forest area when the Sacred Hills falling in Deeg and Kaman tehsil of Bharatpur District were notified as protected forest in 2009. Although aforesaid area is essentially the same sacred Aadibadri and Kankachal hill and Braj hilly range for which the State Government is committed to protect," the petitioner submitted.The plea alleged that there is a 'clear nexus' between the Rajasthan government and mine-lease holders and illegal miners. "This mining is not ceased by Government because the Government gets kickback payments," the plea said.Regarding the significance of the hills, the plea claimed that there are 'numerous evidences from ancient scriptures and literature' that unquestionably prove that the hills in question were a playfield of Lord Krishna even as there is no forest left there now. The area is thus of immense religious and archeological importance and the State had already produced an affidavit before the National Green Tribunal wherein it had stated that it was committed to protect and preserve it. "At present the area is under severe peril of callous mining, especially in village Mungaska and Samsulka of the tehsil Pahadi. That the mining in aforesaid area has caused various health, occupational and other social problems to the local residents. The inhabitants of these villages are severely aggrieved and are deadly against any mining activities in the said area. Official reports reveal that majority of diseases affecting local residents of these villages are related to lungs and chest which are mainly caused by allergy to pollution or ecological disorder," the petition stated.Despite these, mining operators are callously operating at the hills with permissions but in violation of environmental guidelines and pollution board norms, it was argued. It was also pointed out that in 2012, the district collector had recommended that the two hills be declared part of the protected forest. The Chief Minister had also made a similar assurance in 2021, it was submitted.