The Supreme Court has criticized Rajasthan for its failure to combat the sand mining mafia in the Gharial Sanctuary, a riverine area spanning across three states. The court observed that the state's efforts to prevent illegal sand mining are merely on paper, with inadequate enforcement action and a lack of resources.
A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta noted that Rajasthan has no mining plan after 2020 and has not notified an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the sanctuary. The court also expressed concern over the use of unregistered tractors and the deployment of home guards against armed organized mafia.
The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) submitted a report highlighting the lack of legal protection for personnel deployed to guard the sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The CEC also flagged the lack of manpower, with only 15 forest guards in Uttar Pradesh for 635 sq. km and 50 in Madhya Pradesh for 435 sq. km.
The court had earlier directed the installation of high-resolution CCTVs, GPS tracking, and the setting up of specialized patrolling teams. It warned that if states fail to take remedial measures, it will invoke its extraordinary jurisdiction, deploy paramilitary forces, impose heavy penalties, and direct a complete ban on sand mining in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
