Desk Correspondent , New Delhi - A suo motu case has been filed by the supreme court regarding the illegal mining in the Chambal area. The SC is taking special interest in this because these areas of Chambal falls under the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary spanning Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The areas in Chambal sanctuary are home to gharials and Gangetic dolphins making it very sensitive biodiversity spot.

The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta slammed the states' lackadaisical response and ordered installation of high-resolution Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras along vulnerable routes, GPS tracking of mining vehicles as a pilot in Morena and Dholpur, round-the-clock patrolling by specialised teams, and swift seizure of vehicles with recovery of environmental compensation. Officers found negligent will face personal accountability, including contempt proceedings, while the court warned of possible deployment of paramilitary forces or a complete ban on sand mining if measures fail.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on May 11. “It can’t be gainsaid that the issues involved are of great concern in as much as the rampant illegal mining activities in the river bed have created an environmental crisis and havoc in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, causing a grave risk to the very project of gharial preservation,” observed Justice Sandeep Mehta. “It is incumbent upon all concerned authorities to act with a sense of responsibility, urgency, and commitment, so as to ensure that the balance between development and environmental preservation is meaningfully sustained for present and future generations.”