In utter defiance of the December 1996 Supreme Court order banning all mining activities in forest areas, contractors are continuing limestone mining in the Doon valley in Uttar Pradesh even though their lease-hold period had expired as long back as 1984, the apex court has been told by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.The mining areas are located in thick forests in the Tehri Garhwal district within the Doon valley which were saved from destruction by the Apex Court through several orders from indiscriminate limestone mining in 1983 on a public interest petition by the Rural litigation and entitlement Kendra, a non-governmental organisation.