New Delhi, 26 May (H.S.): The Supreme Court has taken a strict view of the increasing illegal mining activities in the Chambal Sanctuary. A bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath directed the governments of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh to install CCTV cameras, control sensors, and monitoring systems in the affected areas.

The Court said that this work must be carried out on a war footing and that all monitoring systems should be fully operational within six months. It further directed immediate action against vehicles involved in illegal mining activities. The Court ordered that vehicles with fake number plates or without registration should be seized and legal proceedings initiated.

The Court emphasized that action should not be limited only to drivers but should also extend to vehicle owners and contractors.

During the hearing, the bench expressed displeasure after taking note of media reports regarding the transportation of illegally mined sand using unregistered and numberless vehicles in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh. The Court said that if the reports are correct, then officials may have filed incorrect affidavits before the Court.

Earlier, on May 14, the Supreme Court had expressed concern over the lack of identification of tractors and vehicles operating freely in mining areas. It had sought detailed information from the states on steps taken to curb illegal transportation of mined materials.

On April 17, while taking a strict stand against illegal mining in the Chambal Sanctuary, the Court had directed Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh to install high-resolution CCTV cameras and implement GPS tracking systems. It had also made it clear that in case of any illegal mining activity, concerned officials would be responsible for immediate action, including deployment of teams on the spot and strict enforcement measures.

The Court further directed state governments to ensure installation of high-resolution CCTV cameras on elevated poles in mining-affected areas, with live feeds monitored directly by the Superintendent of Police (SP) or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and concerned forest officials. It warned that any violation of these orders would be treated as contempt of court, leading to strict action against officials.

Earlier hearings also noted a serious incident in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, where a forest guard was attacked by sand mafia using a tractor trolley. The Court had strongly criticized Madhya Pradesh officials, stating that if the state machinery fails to protect its officers and natural resources, its very existence is questionable.

On April 2, while hearing the matter, the Supreme Court observed that mining mafias operating in the Chambal River were the “new dacoits” of the region. It also noted that in Rajasthan, mining mafias were killing police, forest, and administrative officials.

The Court had earlier stayed a notification issued by the Rajasthan government attempting to exclude 732 hectares of land in the Chambal Sanctuary from the protected area.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar