SHC directs mining company to fill in 11 open shafts in safe manner

The Sindh High Court’s (SHC) constitutional bench has directed a private mining company to fill-in safely 11 shafts, which had been left open in a mining area, and ensure that it was no longer an environmental hazard or danger for the public.

The direction came recently on a petition against an unlawful mining permit in some areas where the mining company allegedly did not have the authority to carry out operations and was causing environmental hazards.

The high court was informed by the director general of the directorate of coal mines development and the Nazir of the court that the private respondent was illegally carrying out mining activities.

A provincial law officer submitted that the respondent had stopped mining and no mining had been carried out in the 11 shafts that had been identified within the boundaries of the permit holders.

The law officer informed that there was smoke emission from two mines within the two boundaries and the private respondent had been directed to fill up the mines immediately to avoid any mishap.

A three-member bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha after perusal of the report said that it had come on record that there were 11 shafts of mines that had been left open and two of them were emitting smoking and posing environmental danger.

The SHC observed that since the private respondent was carrying out mining operation in the area, it was his obligation to fill-in the mining shafts and ensure that there was no danger left on the site through its earlier mining activity which it had now abandoned. The high court observed that such exercise should be completed within three weeks.