Court Tightens Oversight on Illegal Sand Mining

The Supreme Court continued close monitoring of the suo motu proceedings on illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and the threat to endangered aquatic wildlife. The order records the Court’s concern that earlier directions had not been effectively translated into ground-level action, even though some preliminary steps had begun in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The sharper criticism was directed at Rajasthan. The Court said the State’s response to the earlier orders dated 2 April 2026 and 17 April 2026 was lacklustre, and described the material on record as showing an abysmal state of compliance and lethargy in implementing the core directions. The Court noted that surveillance systems, live monitoring, GPS integration, inter-State coordination, and enforcement infrastructure had not been adequately established despite the vulnerability of the affected stretches.

The order also records concern over unregistered and unidentified vehicles and earthmoving machinery allegedly being used for illegal mining and transport. The Court treated this as a serious enforcement failure because the inability to identify ownership makes interception, seizure, investigation, and prosecution difficult, while allowing illegal mining networks to continue operating.

A separate concern was the excavation activity near the pillars and supporting structures of the bridge on National Highway-44 near the Morena-Dholpur border. The Court noted that the Central Empowered Committee had verified illegal excavation in close proximity to the bridge, which carries substantial daily traffic and serves as a vital inter-State connectivity link. The Court viewed this as a threat to structural integrity and public safety.

To secure compliance, the Court directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department; the Principal Secretary, Mining and Geology; the Principal Secretary, Finance; the Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change; and the Principal Secretary, Transport and Road Safety, Rajasthan, to remain personally present with individual compliance affidavits. The Principal Secretary, Transport and Road Safety, Madhya Pradesh was also directed to appear with a detailed affidavit on the issue of unregistered and unidentified vehicles and machinery.

The Court impleaded the National Highways Authority of India and required it to place on record the measures undertaken or proposed to safeguard the bridge, including CCTV surveillance and monitoring arrangements.

The order also dealt with interlocutory applications concerning frontline forest personnel. The Court issued notice on the application filed by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Employees Association and sought replies from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh on welfare and protection measures for forest guards and other frontline staff, including compensation, ex gratia assistance, compassionate appointment, insurance, and related service benefits.

Practical takeaway: In environmental enforcement matters, the Court is insisting on personal accountability, verified compliance, and infrastructure protection, not paper assurances.