The Supreme Court has expressed grave concern over rampant illegal sand mining from riverbeds, observing that the activity inflicts severe damage on river ecosystems and must be stopped through stringent enforcement.
Taking a serious view of the environmental consequences of indiscriminate sand extraction, the apex court has called upon the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to examine the issue and submit a detailed report.
The CEC, originally constituted in 2002 pursuant to a Supreme Court order and accorded statutory status in 2023, assists the court in environmental and forest-related matters and monitors compliance with its directions.
The proceedings were initiated suo motu amid concerns over illegal mining and the threat it poses to aquatic life in and around the National Chambal Sanctuary, also known as the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary.
During the hearing, the court directed the authorities to strictly enforce statutory safeguards and security measures in areas surrounding the sanctuary, which extends over around 5,400 sq km.
The court also put Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh on notice, directing the three states to submit compliance affidavits within two weeks detailing the measures taken to check illegal mining.
Its concerns were not confined to the Chambal region. The bench also took note of allegations of illegal mining in the Ken river in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna district.
The proceedings also brought into focus the death of a forest ranger in Rajasthan last month. The ranger was allegedly run over by a dumper truck while attempting to stop illegal mining activities. Expressing anguish over the incident, the court noted with concern that vehicles carrying illegally extracted sand were operating openly and stressed that the country’s rivers could not suffer unchecked destruction.
The matter has now been posted for hearing on November 4, when the court is expected to consider the CEC’s report as well as the compliance affidavits filed by the three states.
The apex court has made it clear that illegal miners and those supporting such operations cannot be treated with leniency. It has called for stringent measures against those responsible, including preventive action, to safeguard rivers, their natural resources and the aquatic ecosystems dependent on them.
