The Supreme Court on Friday issued a series of stringent directions to curb rampant illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary region, pulling up the States of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for their continued inaction.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, hearing a suo motu matter, observed that the failure of State authorities to tackle mining mafias was “writ large on the face of the record,” noting that despite an adequate statutory framework, enforcement agencies appeared to be “dragging their feet for reasons not difficult to discern.”
Expressing serious concern over the ecological damage to the Chambal river ecosystem, the Court warned that if concrete and effective steps are not taken, it may be compelled to invoke its extraordinary powers, including ordering a complete ban on sand mining in the region and even directing the deployment of paramilitary forces or CRPF to protect the sanctuary.
In a bid to ensure strict monitoring and enforcement, the Court directed the installation of high-resolution, Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras at vulnerable stretches of the river and routes commonly used for illegal mining. The live feeds are to be directly monitored by senior district officials, including the Superintendent of Police and Divisional Forest Officer, with immediate action mandated upon detection of illegal activity.
The Bench further ordered a pilot project for mandatory GPS tracking of all vehicles and machinery involved in mining operations in districts such as Morena and Gwalior, with a view to enabling real-time surveillance. Non-compliance with this directive would result in immediate seizure of vehicles, with release permitted only by orders of the Supreme Court.
To strengthen institutional response, the Court directed States to submit detailed reports on the feasibility of establishing dedicated control rooms for centralised monitoring of CCTV and GPS data, along with frameworks for inter-departmental coordination to ensure prompt enforcement action.
The Court also mandated immediate seizure and prosecution of all persons involved in illegal mining activities and directed authorities to initiate time-bound proceedings for recovery of environmental compensation in accordance with the “polluter pays” principle, emphasising both restitution and deterrence.
Additionally, States have been directed to constitute joint patrol teams comprising police and forest officials, equipped with modern surveillance tools, protective gear, and adequate security support, to conduct round-the-clock monitoring in vulnerable areas.
The Court made it clear that any dereliction of duty or non-compliance would be viewed seriously, with officers liable to face personal accountability and contempt proceedings.
The matter has been listed for further consideration on May 11, with the Court expecting detailed compliance and action reports from the States.