Context:
The Supreme Court intervened to safeguard the National Chambal Sanctuary, which is under threat from illegal sand mining, impacting its fragile river ecosystem.
Key Highlights:
- Environmental Concerns
- Sanctuary is a major habitat for the critically endangered gharial.
- Illegal sand mining causing:
- Riverbed degradation
- Loss of sand-nesting habitats
- Disruption of ecosystem balance
- Judicial Intervention
- Supreme Court acted on media reports.
- National Green Tribunal (NGT) had earlier ordered monitoring of mining activities.
- Ground Reality
- Presence of organized sand mining mafias.
- Use of unregistered vehicles to evade enforcement.
- Conservation plan identifies sand mining as biggest threat.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- National Chambal Sanctuary: Spread across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh.
- Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus): Critically endangered, fish-eating crocodilian.
- Lotic Ecosystem: Flowing water ecosystem (rivers, streams).
- Sand Mining: Extraction of sand from riverbeds affecting hydrology.
- NGT: Specialized tribunal for environmental cases.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Illegal sand mining as a major driver of environmental degradation.
- Impact on biodiversity conservation and river ecosystems.
- Challenges in enforcement and governance failures.
- Need for balancing development vs ecological sustainability.
- Way Forward
- Strengthen real-time monitoring (GIS, drones).
- Strict enforcement against illegal mining networks.
- Promote sustainable alternatives to river sand.
UPSC Relevance:
- GS III: Environment & Ecology
- GS II: Governance