Nainital, Aug. 1 -- The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the immediate closure of 48 operational stone crushers in Haridwar for illegal mining in the Ganga riverbed. The order was passed today by a division bench comprising Justices Ravindra Maithani and Pankaj Purohit during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Matri Sadan, Haridwar. The Court also expressed strong displeasure at the non-compliance with its previous orders and held that continued operation of these stone crushers in violation of earlier directives amounts to wilful breach of law.

After hearing the arguments, the Court instructed the District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Haridwar, to ensure immediate closure of the stone cr...