​Arrest the grief: On illegal sand mining in central India

The National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in central India protects a lotic ecosystem across an area straddling three States. Its existence is crucial for the critically endangered gharial, the red-crowned roofed turtle and the endangered Ganges river dolphin. All three species depend on sand to survive, especially the river’s sandbars and sandbanks. Yet, organised crime and state paralysis have been stealing away just that sand, prompting the Supreme Court of India to call the local sand-mining mafia “modern dacoits”. The mafia erupted to meet the demand for sand during North India’s construction boom, and has been able to exploit gaps in jurisdiction among the three States — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh — despite the Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banning the activity. State governments have also abetted this ploy by passing the buck on acting against the mafia. Between 2017 and 2024, tractor trolleys laden with illegally mined sand mowed down forest guards and police officers while miners also shot at police during raids. The police reported that miners had also begun using local villagers to track the movement of patrol vehicles using mobile apps and GPS. By 2023, reports indicated that mining syndicates in the Gwalior-Chambal region were using semi-automatic weapons, often outgunning the local forest departments.

Frustrated with having failed to staunch the bleeding, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan attempted to legalise sand mining in certain districts inside the sanctuary. Madhya Pradesh submitted proposals for limited mining in two districts but resistance from the NGT stalled its plans, and the State subsequently withdrew them. Rajasthan followed with a similar proposal in March this year only for the Court to block it. Traditional agriculture is difficult in the Chambal ravines, leaving many young men to turn to mining sand for a living. The mafia recruits them as foot soldiers, leaving forest officials to face ‘public anger’ when they militate against the mafia. The Court took suo motu cognisance of Rajasthan’s measure, with Justice Sandeep Mehta, last week, ‘reminding’ the State of the National Security Act and the State-specific Goonda Act. The Court’s frustration is understandable. But given the recent troubled history of green governance, where it has played regulator, there is merit in the Court disciplining the regulator rather than replacing it. The lesson from Chambal’s violent history is that force alone cannot quiet an economy feeding on grievance. Sweeping crackdowns will deepen local resentment and entrench the same social cover that sustains the syndicates. Lasting change will come only from restoring lawful livelihoods and credible, even-handed enforcement.