Sand mining around Chambal sanctuary: NGT pulls up MoEF

The National Green Tribunal has pulled up the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for the illegal sand mining going on in National Chambal Sanctuary.
The tribunal was hearing a petition by NGO, Tiger Protection Group, which had sought prevention of activities like stone quarrying, sand mining and fishing, from going on in and around the sanctuary.
"If the illegal sand mining as well as illegal fishing and stone quarrying is conducted which are unable to be curtailed by the state governments...It is the duty of the MoEF, having overall authority not only to supervise but also to give instructions to the state governments to take appropriate action," a bench headed by Justice P Jyothimani said and fixed the matter for next hearing on November 13.

The observations came after certain media reports were shown by the NGO stating that the illegal sand mining was being conducted in Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
During the hearing, the tribunal was informed that by virtue of large scale illegal mining activities in these states, the species of Gharial and red-crowned turtle are likely to become extinct.
Earlier, MoEF itself had constituted a three-tier coordination committee called the National Tri-State Chambal Sanctuary Management and Coordination Committee for conservation of crocodiles in the sanctuary.
The sanctuary is a tri-state protected area for the critically endangered gharial (small crocodiles), the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river dolphin, the petition said, adding that these species are under threat due to the fishing, sand mining etc going on there.

The petition had said that sand mining is contributing to destruction of the gharial's habitat as the sand-banks are absolutely essential for its nesting purposes.