Illegal Sand Mining: CEC Seeks Verification of 31 Ken River Quarries and Enforcement

The news

The Supreme Court’s environmental watchdog, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), has directed Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to submit proof of enforcement actions and tangible progress in curbing illegal sand mining. The order follows field visits to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after the Supreme Court began examining illegal sand mining and wildlife threats in the National Chambal Sanctuary, which lies along the Chambal River at the tripoint of the three states. In October, the top court expanded the proceedings to cover illegal sand mining nationwide.

The CEC said its report shall clearly distinguish between measures proposed, sanctioned, procured, installed and made operational. The three states are also asked to furnish data on checkposts, control rooms, frontline staff, enforcement equipment and manufactured sand units. The panel flagged enforcement gaps, data discrepancies and incomplete records after reviewing compliance reports. For the Ken River, the CEC noted a “big difference” in enforcement figures provided by Panna’s Mineral Branch: the revised report of the Collector recorded nine disposed cases of illegal sand extraction and 504 for illegal sand transportation for 2021-22 to 2026-27, while the same material elsewhere cited 86 extraction cases and 653 transportation cases. The panel directed the Panna Collector and the concerned mining officer to reconcile and certify the conflicting figures, stating that until reconciled they cannot be relied upon for assessing enforcement or results.

The CEC also noted 33 forest offence cases in the Panna Tiger Reserve and Ken Gharial Sanctuary between 2021 and October 2026, of which 15 involved illegal sand extraction or transportation, including 10 inside the Ken Gharial Sanctuary. It directed the Madhya Pradesh government to constitute a joint team of forest, mining and revenue departments to inspect 14 locations in relation to the Ken River. The verification shall also cover all 31 approved quarries for the period 2024-2027, their validity and conditions of permissions, approved area, authorised quantity, statutory clearances, and actual extraction and transportation. The quantity extracted shall be compared with permitted quantity, and any extraction beyond approved boundaries or in excess of the authorised quantity shall be specifically identified, the CEC recommended.

What is the Central Empowered Committee?

The Central Empowered Committee was originally constituted by the Supreme Court in 2002 to monitor and ensure compliance with its orders on forest and wildlife matters. It was later given statutory status through a notification under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The committee functions as the court's environmental watchdog, conducting field inspections and reviewing state compliance reports. In the present matter, the Supreme Court began examining illegal sand mining and wildlife threats in the National Chambal Sanctuary before expanding the proceedings nationwide.

What is the CEC and why is it involved?

The Central Empowered Committee is the Supreme Court’s environmental watchdog. It was constituted to monitor compliance with court orders on environmental matters. In this case, the Supreme Court began examining illegal sand mining and wildlife threats in the National Chambal Sanctuary, and in October 2026 expanded the proceedings to cover illegal sand mining nationwide. The CEC conducted field visits to Morena, Bhind and Dholpur, and a review meeting in Orchha, before issuing its directions.

What are the enforcement gaps the CEC identified?

The CEC found that states had not clearly separated proposed measures from those actually installed and operational, making it difficult to assess real enforcement. Data on checkposts, control rooms, frontline staff and manufactured sand units was incomplete. The most striking gap was in Panna, where the Mineral Branch’s revised report listed nine disposed extraction cases and 504 transportation cases for 2021-22 to 2026-27, while other records showed 86 and 653 respectively. The CEC said such a substantial difference must be reconciled and certified before the figures can be relied upon to evaluate enforcement results.

What is the next step ordered by the CEC?

The CEC directed the Madhya Pradesh government to form a joint team of forest, mining and revenue departments to inspect 14 locations along the Ken River. The team must also verify all 31 approved quarries for 2024-2027, checking their validity, conditions of permissions, approved area, authorised quantity, statutory clearances, and actual extraction and transportation. Any extraction beyond approved boundaries or in excess of the authorised quantity must be specifically identified.