Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Cognizance Of Illegal Sand Mining In Chambal Sanctuary & Threat To 'Gharials'
The bench noted that even the area where Madhya Pradesh CM released gharials recently has come under illegal mining.
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and the threat to endangered aquatic wildlife, including gharials.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta has taken up the suo motu case and placed the matter before CJI Surya Kant for appropriate orders.
After the bench assembled, Justice Mehta today said,
"We have taken note of some recent newspaper reports and the report submitted by CSR which records that the entire protected areas where this Gharial preservation programme is going on, they are being rampantly mined...the gharials are having to relocate because of this mining. Even the area where CM had release gharials, that has also come under illegal mining. So, we have taken cognizance and the matter will be placed before Hon'ble CJI for appropriate orders."
The National Chambal Sanctuary is located near a tripoint area of 3 states- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It wasnotified in 1979, mainly to provide protection to the fast dwindling population of the critically endangered Gharial.