Marble mines wreak havoc in Ambaji, World Environment Day will be celebrated

Two hands on lease holders of Mines and Minerals Department

Gandhinagar, 2 June 2023

It has been decided to organize the state level event of World Environment Day on June 5, 2023 in Ambaji on the theme of ‘forest cover’ by the Jiherat government. 10,000 trees will be planted and seeds will be sprayed with drones.

Mangroves will be planted under the MISHTI program in 11 districts of Ahmedabad, Anand, Kutch, Jamnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Navsari, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Morbi, Valsad and Surat.

Programs will be held in schools in Amreli, Aravalli, Gandhinagar, Chhotaudepur, Dang, Tapi, Dahod, Narmada, Patan, Porbandar, Mahisagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Vadodara and Surendranagar.

Dolphin shows will be organized at five places at Okha, Poshitra, Kalabhar, Jamnagar and Navlakhi.

A special campaign will be launched at 8 holy pilgrimage places of Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Nadiad, Panchmahal, Banaskantha, Bhavnagar and Sabarkantha and tree plantation will be done at each place.

devastation in Ambaji

Many quarries and marble quarries have come up in the Eco-sensitive Zone. Still digging is going on. Government officials extort money from them.

The final field was announced in 2021. The forest department is now trying to relocate the tribals living in the forest to other places. The tribals held a rally in Palanpur and submitted an application to the collector. Three wildlife sanctuaries and eco-sensitive areas have been declared in Banaskantha district by the central government. The region is home to more than 50 villages and a large population of tribal communities.

For years he has been living in the Aravalli hills. Now that this area has been declared as eco sensitive zone. Then the government is working to remove them. The tribal communities of the Danta and Amirgarh sects have demanded the government to exclude the area from the eco-sensitive zone.

Five years ago, the Ministry of Environment and Forests included 133 villages of Banaskantha, built around the Balram-Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary, in the eco-sensitive zone. Consists of 8 villages in Palanpur taluka, 8 in Vadgam taluka, 33 in Amirgarh and 84 in Danta. Ten kilometers were fixed till the limit was fixed.

Secret Saraswati river

In Vedic Puranas, 60 secret rivers have been considered as the abode of Gaumukhs. It is the origin of the secret Saraswati river, which is dislodged by the ancient Koteshwar Mahadev, owned by the Ambaji Temple Trust.
The government has announced that Gujarat has a reserve of 465 lakh tonnes of bearing. There are 125 units of marble or granite processing. In 2003–2004, 95,030 metric tons of ash was produced. Today it is believed to be 10 times that.

Ambaji region is known for marble, Sangmarmar stone. The land department allotted pattas in areas like Koteshwar, Chikhla, Jarivav, Khokhar Cati of Ambaji. Marble mining was allowed in 190 hectares. Aras Pahan has 30 mines. It produces green marble as well as stones including white marble, second white, panther and edungo. Gujarat is the hub of Ambaji Marble. 259 million tonnes are estimated to be affected.

Mine lease owners in Ambaji are polluting the rivers. The marble waste that comes out after marble mining is discharged into the sacred Gupta Saraswati river. Dumping of garbage in the river is causing huge damage to the wildlife and environment.

Forest farmers are suffering losses in agriculture. The Ministry of Finance is working closely with the lease owners.

Forests will be destroyed. The river is in spate.

The local people have repeatedly appealed to the government. There has been a demand to take measures to save the environment along with the wildlife and the river.

Leases do not require owners to install their own boundary pillars. It is the Mines and Minerals Department which is covering the lease holders. Banaskantha District Forest Officer has given complete information by writing a letter to the Mineral Department.

Owners are given leases with 6 conditions. Which contravenes The lessees of the mines were to plant trees, which were not done. The lease owners were informed to recover their sanctioned premises.

Amba White Marble is also known as Ambe White Marble. White marble is being sold at Rs 200 per square foot. Ambaji Superior White Marble is used for exterior and interior flooring, wall, countertop and tabletop. The life of the stone is more than 10 to 15 years which makes it an ideal stone for flooring. Ambaji Superior White Marble is in great demand for flooring. Ambaji Superior Marble has very low water absorption capacity (0.07%). Long lasting shine and durability.

The dumping of marble waste in the riverbed attracted the attention of the central government. In 35 marble mining units located in Koteshwar, Jarivav, Chikhla, Khokhar, Cati areas of Ambaji, the Central Government along with the Forest Department and Mines and Minerals Department had ordered an inquiry.

In Banaskantha district, which is rich in forest resources, the hills located in the Bhimal region of Danta taluka yield a large amount of construction related products including scrap metal.

Large units of white marble are quarried from the hills of Ambaji. Due to the mining of these units in the villages around Ambaji for years, huge pits have been formed in the mountains. Over the years, marble waste has been dumped into the river channels here. The environment is being harmed. The complaint was made by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change Department of New Delhi.

Vipul Marble, Chandubhai K.Patel, Radhaswamy Marble, Dhaneshwari Marble, DK Trivedi & Sons, Vijay Marble, Pransu Trading & Investment Company, JD Patel, PF Patel, Green Marble, Prince Marble, Ramakant Sharma, Mohanlal Sharma, Balaji Marble are located . , Bravim Enterprises, Manoj Trivedi, Empire Marble, Ambaji Minerals, JD Trivedi, Harkishan Marble, Jai Ambe Mining & Minerals, Kailash Agarwal, Mehta Marble, Rajesh Kumar Saini, Suyog Granite, Sudhamayee Marble, Hindustan Marble Pvt Ltd, Jagdamba Marble, Jai Ambe Mining and Moti Marble have been informed about these matters and a notice has been sent.

discovery of copper mines
The deposits of base metals (lead, copper and zinc) are of great economic and strategic importance to Gujarat and the country. Large deposits of base metals have been discovered near Ambaji. Its reserves are estimated at 8.5 million tonnes and the ore has an average base metal concentration of 1.53% copper, 3.33% lead and 5.35% zinc.
Experimental mining of copper, lead and zinc concentrate has started in Ambaji Multimetal Project.
Copper and basement have been found in the areas near Yatradham Ambaji. Corporation (GMDC) has started mineral exploration in an area of 1400 hectares. Geological studies and ground design have started. There may be a polymetallic deposit. Will help in increasing electric vehicles. The ore body is intrusive based massive sulphide style (IHMS). The IHMS deposit is a major source of base metals. These include lead, zinc and copper and also precious metals such as gold and silver. Current drilling studies in some areas estimate a mineral resource of about 6.28 tonnes, of which 10% is metallurgical (copper, zinc and lead combined). The resource model data is currently being prepared. Heavy pollution is going to happen when my work starts.
Dolomite is found in Dantana Ambaji, Hadad, Diwaniya. Marble slabs and tiles are exported to Italy and South Asian countries by the marble cultivators of Ambaji region.
Pressure
The government is not doing anything against the mining mafia but is taking away the livelihood of black people and tribals. Koteshwar is not only famous for the Gau-mukh of the river Saraswati and the Mahadev temple, but also for its sculptural craftsmanship and idol-temple art. A market for marble and stone statues and idols is located at Koteshwar. The shops were of marble statues. Encroachment was removed by the Forest Department on the road leading from Ambaji to Koteshwar Dham. After the Kamakshi temple, shops were set up on the road by the local tribal people living there.

Marble is exploited in Delvada, Ranakpur, Kumbhariya, there are quarries in Abu-Ambaji.

Ambaji ‘Sapti’ First International Seminar ‘Shilp Sangam’ was organized on 19 January 2023. 12 sculptors from 10 countries participated. He carved various stones in white marble from Ambaji and created various objects by doing beautiful marble work. Which will be kept as an idol in Ambaji. There are plans to set up Stoneparks at Ambaji and Dhrangadhra. Kalp tree made of marble was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Bhupendra Patel. Sapti was prepared by the sculptors associated with the institution.

in September 2019
Danta and Balra in Amirgarh Taluka

National Green on illegal mining in Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary

Mining work has been suspended in 20 mines of Danta Amirgarh by the order of the tribunal.

Due to excessive mining in the sanctuary area, 9 lease mining has been banned in additional areas. The NGT has also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the Collector of Land, Forest, Pollution Department for negligence.

A committee was constituted and directed by the National Green Tribunal to prepare a complete report on mining operations in forest reserve area, measure and take action against these units.

who are the lessees
Dadabhai Hathibhai Sindhi-Chitrasani, Shiva Marble-Khatal, Shiva Marble-Danta, Ashwin Kumar Kantilal Joshi-Nawawas Danta, Bhavarsingh Mansingh Parmar-Nawawas Danta, Dineshbhai Mavjibhai Patel-Chikanwas Amirgarh, Tirupati Kori Works-Chikanwas Amirgarh, Ahmed Khan H. Sindhi -Hasanpur, Param Industries-Chikanwas Amirgarh, GMDC-Kumbhariya Danta, Dharti Kori Works-Chikanwas Amirgarh, Hindustan Marble-Koteshwar Danta, RP Infrastructure-Chikanwas Amirgarh, MB Stone Sureshbhai-Koteshwar Danta, Jayambe Mining & Mineral-Chikhla Danta, Ambaji Minerals Abhisheksingh-Chekhla Danta, Suyog Granite & Marble-Chekhla Danta, MB Stone-Chekhla Danta, Bravim Enterprises-Chekhla Danta, Abdulkhan Bhurekhan Pathan-Nawawas Danta. 19 mines around the sanctuary area were closed.

a bear corridor was not created

The BJP government had announced to make a safe route for the movement of bears. It did not happen.
The bear population in Gujarat is mostly confined to Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Panchmahal Vadodara, Dahod.
After three years of research by Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University and ISRO, it reported to the government on 16 July 2018 that 6 ecological corridors should be created for bears in Gujarat. The state government was recommended to create an ecological corridor between Jessore, Balram, polo forests, Ratan Mahal and Jhambughoda in Banaskantha, Shoolpaneshwar in Narmada district and the surrounding forests.

In Gujarat, it is necessary to have a natural road for the bears to move easily from one place to another. Such bear dispersal areas, if linked, could lead to an increase in bear populations, which are less likely than lions.
At present there is a population of 340 to 350 bears in Gujarat.

Conflicts with humans can also be reduced by preventing wild animals, including bears, from entering human settlements in search of food and water, the report said.

Banaskatha’s 574 sq km. It was said to install CCTV trap cameras to keep an eye on 120 bears and other animals in the forest area. Balram forest has 59 bears and Jessore has 62 bears.

Gujarat bears are the only non-carnivorous bears in the world. Professor Nishith Dharaiya, chairman of the Sloth Bear Expert Team of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and who has been researching bears for years, made this announcement. Gujarat is the only bear in India and the world that is not a carnivore, it does not eat animal or human flesh. The main food of bears in Gujarat is very small insects like termites, worms, honeydew and all kinds of fruits.

Another giant bear cub from Gujarat is carried on its back. After giving birth, it roams on its back for one and a half years. No other bear in the world brings up its cubs like this.

On March 18, 2017, three people, including a forest ranger, were killed in a bear attack in the Balram-Ambaji sanctuary. Five people, including two forest department employees, were injured. After a great panic the bear was shot. A bear attacked a monk in Kedarnath, Amirgarh, Banaskantha and the monk was taken to the hospital in a bleeding condition. Four people were injured in the bear attack for two days in Mount Abu.