Today, On 13th March, The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary after noting alarming reports. It highlighted concerns that rampant mining is forcing ghadiyals to relocate, as documented in recent CSR findings today.
The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of illegal sand mining within the National Chambal Sanctuary.
A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta flagged the grave danger this poses to endangered aquatic species, notably the critically endangered gharial.
The Court observed during today’s hearing,
“We have taken note of some recent newspaper reports and the report submitted by CSR which required that the entire protected areas where ghadiyal preservation program is going on, they are being rampantly mined, the ghadiyals are having to relocate because of this mining,”
The matter will now be referred to the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s Bench for further directions. Illegal sand extraction has long plagued the Chambal river basin, which covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
The Chambal Sanctuary remains one of the few surviving strongholds for the gharial, and it also shelters other vulnerable aquatic species such as the Gangetic dolphin and the Indian skimmer.
Investigations and on-the-ground reports over the past year reveal that sand mafias continue to operate in the area despite prohibitions, frequently intimidating officials and residents.
There have been incidents in which forest staff and police teams trying to stay illicit mining were attacked, highlighting the extent of the problem.
Authorities have mounted periodic crackdowns and confiscated large amounts of illegally excavated sand, but officials concede the trade persists due to organized networks and strong demand from the construction sector.
Conservationists warn that unregulated sand removal from riverbeds can destroy nesting sites and disrupt river dynamics, severely endangering species like the gharial that rely on undisturbed sandbanks for breeding and survival.