Supreme Court Threatens Paramilitary Deployment to Curb "Rampant" Illegal Mining in Chambal Sanctuary
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By thecommonsvoice
The Supreme Court has warned Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh that it will deploy paramilitary forces and impose a total mining ban if they fail to stop illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta ordered the mandatory installation of high-resolution, Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras along mining routes and GPS tracking on all mining machinery on a pilot basis in Morena and Dholpur.
The Court slammed the "lackadaisical response" and "tacit connivance" of state authorities, noting that mining mafias are operating with impunity, even endangering critical infrastructure like a bridge on National Highway 44.
Highlighting the "environmental crisis," the Court emphasized that the unchecked greed of the mining mafia poses a grave risk to endangered species, including gharials and Gangetic river dolphins, within the tri-state protected area.