Supreme Court Orders Nationwide Report as Illegal Sand Mining Threatens Indian Rivers

The Supreme Court, acting on its own initiative after media coverage of illegal sand mining in the Chambal River within the National Gharial Sanctuary, expanded its investigation to a pan-India level. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta instructed the Central Empowered Committee, the environmental advisory body, to prepare a detailed report on unlawful river sand extraction nationwide. The court rebuked Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for not locating the organized syndicates responsible and noted that seized vehicles had been released after fines.

It cited the death of forest ranger Pratap Singh Chundawat, crushed by a dumper hauling illegally mined sand, as evidence of the problem’s severity. The bench warned that continued non-compliance could lead to a total ban on sand mining in Rajasthan and urged states to enforce stricter controls. The order also encompassed a petition concerning illegal mining in the Ken River, demanding a response from Madhya Pradesh.