Udaipur, November 8, 2024: The Supreme Court of India took cogniscance of the appeals filed by the Rajasthan government and mining associations on the closure of 23,000 mines in the state and agreed to an urgent hearing on 8 November 2024. The three Judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by outgoing Chief Justice of India, Justice DY Chandrachud has given an interim extension on the operation of the mines in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatigarh till November 13 and has set November 12, 2024 as the next date of hearing of the SLPs by the Raj Govt and mining associations of MP and Chhattisgarh.

The three Judge Bench of the Supreme Court, comprising of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra conducted an urgent hearing of the appeal filed by the Rajasthan Government regarding the closure of nearly 23000 mines in the state, following a ruling by the National Green Tribunal. The ruling by the NGT on 8 August 2024 had mandated that mining leases with Environment Clearances issued by DEIAAs (District Environment Impact Assessment Authority) up to 11 December 2018 have to undergo reappraisal by the respective SEIAAs (State Environment Impact Assessment Authority) by November 7, 2024. The ruling further said that failing this exercise, then the mining activities carried out by the leaseholders, shall not be allowed to operate after November 7, 2024.

As per the order passed in the hearing on November  8 Court observed that since the matter could not be heard at length due to paucity of time, it wi thus be  listed for hearing  on November 12 before the incoming Chief Justice of India. It also said that since mining activities of the entire nation are at stake, time limit for environmental clearance is extended till November 13, 2024.

In all, three Special Leave Petitions were filed against the ruling of the National Green Tribunal dated August 8, 2024. Of these, one was filed by the  Rajasthan Government and represented by the Additional Solicitor General of India Aishwarya Bhati and Additional Advocate General of  the Rajasthan Government, Shiv Mangal Sharma. The other two were filed by the Stone Crushers Association of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Khanij Pattedar Mahasangh, represented  by Advocate Shraddha Deshmukh, who was instrumental in getting the nod for the urgent hearing.

The information  in this post will be uploaded with the final order once available.