Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance Of Illegal Sand Mining In National Chambal Sanctuary

The bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta noted reports indicating that rampant mining activities were taking place in areas earmarked for the preservation of gharials.

During the hearing, Justice Mehta observed that the Court had taken note of recent newspaper reports and materials submitted by the Central Empowered Committee/CSR, which suggested that mining activities were continuing even within protected zones of the sanctuary.

“We have taken note of some recent newspaper reports and the reports submitted by CSR which record that the entire protected areas where gharial preservation is going on, this is being rampantly mined,” Justice Mehta remarked.

The Court further noted that the illegal mining was forcing gharials to relocate from their natural habitat, raising serious ecological concerns. Justice Mehta also pointed out that even areas where the State’s Chief Minister had earlier released gharials as part of conservation efforts were allegedly being subjected to illegal sand extraction.

“The gharials are having to relocate because of this mining. Even the areas where the Chief Minister had released the gharials have also come under illegal mining,” the Bench observed.

Considering the seriousness of the issue and its implications for wildlife conservation, the Bench directed that the matter be placed before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate directions.

The National Chambal Sanctuary, which stretches across parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, is known as one of India’s most important habitats for the conservation of the critically endangered gharial, along with several other aquatic species including freshwater dolphins and turtles.

The matter is expected to be taken up for further directions after being placed before the Chief Justice of India.

Historical data indicates that the gharial population had collapsed from an estimated 5,000–10,000 individuals in the 1940s to fewer than 200 by the mid-1970s, largely due to hunting, river modification, fishing pressure and sand mining.

However, recent conservation efforts have led to a recovery in numbers. Surveys conducted across the sanctuary in 2024–2025 recorded approximately 2,000–2,100 gharials, the highest count since systematic monitoring began. In 2025 alone, around 1,186 gharial hatchlings were documented, indicating successful breeding in protected stretches of the river.

The issue has gained renewed attention following policy changes affecting the sanctuary. In January 2026, the Rajasthan government approved the denotification of around 732 hectares from the sanctuary, a move described by officials as a boundary rationalisation exercise to address overlaps with revenue land and inhabited areas.

While authorities maintain that core conservation areas remain protected, environmental experts warn that such policy shifts, combined with rising demand for construction sand, could intensify pressure on the Chambal ecosystem.

Illegal sand mining has long been cited as one of the most significant threats to the sanctuary’s biodiversity, as the sandbanks along the river are crucial nesting and basking sites for gharials and several turtle species. Environmentalists caution that excessive mining disrupts river flow, erodes banks, and destroys breeding grounds, potentially reversing decades of conservation gains.