The Telangana High Court has directed the state government to take action regarding the alleged illegal diversion of overburden soil from the Ramagundam RG-III open cast mine in Peddapalli district. The soil was reportedly used for constructing the Greenfield Highway between Mancherial and Warangal, a project being executed by MEIL.
Petition Filed by Local Resident
The petition was filed by Putta Mukesh, a resident of Erukulagudem village near the mine. He alleged that nearly 40 lakh cubic metres of overburden soil, valued at around Rs 22 crore, was transported over the past six months. This was done in collusion with officials of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) without statutory permissions and in violation of the Mines Act, the Mineral Concession Rules, and the Environment (Protection) Act.
Court's Directions
Disposing of the matter recently, Justice B Vijaysen Reddy directed the authorities to consider the petitioner's representation and take action in accordance with the law after hearing all concerned parties. The court also ordered issuance of notices to the petitioner, SCCL, MEIL, and other stakeholders before any decision is taken.
Allegations of Inaction
The petitioner alleged that the overburden soil, meant for backfilling the mine, was instead diverted for highway works. He further claimed that despite repeated representations submitted between November 2025 and March 2026, officials failed to act.
SCCL's Submission
Counsel appearing for SCCL submitted before the court that directions could be issued to the authorities to act on the petitioner's February 2026 representation.
This development highlights the ongoing legal scrutiny over environmental compliance and resource management in large infrastructure projects.
