Illegal sand transport continues despite strict SC directions:3 states officials arrived; CEC inspection team allegedly skips major dumping sites during visit

The Supreme Court has reprimanded the MP, UP and Rajasthan governments regarding illegal sand mining in the Chambal River. It has even ordered the deployment of the CRPF to stop this. Members of the CEC Committee (Central Empowered Committee) also came to know the reality of Chambal. They toured by boat, but did not reach the location from where information about illegal sand mining is received. At the end of the river, which people know as Rajghat, the committee members were taken close to it, but not 300 to 400 meters further ahead. If they had been taken there, millions of cubic meters of dumped sand would have been visible. From this very place, trolleys full of illegal sand are being supplied daily. The administration claims strictness on illegal sand, but the loaded trolleys running as soon as night falls expose this claim. The Dainik Bhaskar team reached Rajghat to know the reality of illegal sand mining. Read the report See pictures Supreme Court takes cognizance after constable’s death Illegal sand mining is continuing openly in the Chambal River. In Morena, a constable who had gone to stop illegal mining in April was run over by a tractor. He suffered severe injuries and later died. Taking serious note of the incident, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance on April 17 and expressed strong concern. The court reprimanded the governments of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, stating that if the states were unable to stop illegal mining, CRPF deployment should be considered. Following the Supreme Court’s directions, retired IFS officer and Central Empowered Committee (CEC) member Chandra Prakash Goyal reached the Chambal Devri Gharial Sanctuary on May 1. Officials from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh accompanied him. To assess the ground reality of illegal mining in the Chambal River, the team boarded a boat and carried out an inspection. Later, they reached the Devri Gharial Centre Sanctuary and held a meeting there. The CEC committee will prepare an investigation report based on the inspection and submit it to the Supreme Court. Team did not reach the illegal sand dump site On April 30, CEC member Chandra Prakash Goyal reached Dholpur in Rajasthan and held discussions with officials there. The next day, on May 1, he arrived in Madhya Pradesh. At around 10 am, Dholpur Collector Nidhi BT, SP Vikas Sagwan, DFO Dr Ashish Vyas and CCF PC Kethirwal accompanied him to Morena. Senior officials from Madhya Pradesh, including Forest Force Chief Shubhranjan Sen, CCFO Gwalior Lalit Bharti, Devri Forest Superintendent Shyam Singh Chauhan, Morena DFO Harishchandra Baghel and then-SP Sameer Saurabh, also joined the inspection at the ghat. The officials took the team on a Chambal Safari boat towards the Rajasthan border. The inspection lasted around two hours, from 10 am to 12 noon. The team travelled nearly 20 kilometres along the Chambal River and observed the situation. At around 12:30 pm, the team reached the Devri Sanctuary, where they stayed for nearly three hours and held a meeting before leaving at around 3:30 pm. However, villagers told Bhaskar that the team did not visit the actual location where illegal sand was allegedly being dumped. According to them, the team passed nearby but stayed at a distance from the site where the real situation could have been seen clearly. Bhaskar witnessed lakhs of tons of dumped sand stock After the Supreme Court’s strictness, SAF’s force tent was set up on the banks of the Chambal River and deployed at Rajghat, Sikrauda Canal, and forest check post, but the actual situation is something else. The mafia is still carrying out illegal sand mining. Currently, mining is stopped only at Rajghat, but a large stock of sand has been accumulated here. From here, tractor-trolleys loaded with illegal sand are being transported every day. The Dainik Bhaskar team reached where the inspection team did not reach. This sand dump spot is Chambal Safari near Rajghat, where the team came by boat but passed by from merely 300 to 400 meters away. If they had come here, they would have found dumps in the quantity of lakhs of cubic meters, which was captured in Bhaskar’s camera. The team found here that a large quantity of illegal sand has been extracted from Chambal and stocked below on the left side of the Rajghat bridge. Now, understand the distribution of ghats Chambal Sanctuary – It is divided into Devri Game Range, Sabalgarh Game Range, and Ambah Game Range. It includes Rajghat, Garhaura Pura, Rithaura, Dabarpura, Bharra Chinnoni, Guna Pura, Aisah, Kuthiyana, Daljit, Holapura, Rachhed, Used, Khurd Raipur, Sahas Pura, Nagra, Banwara, Rahu, Atar, Barautha, Bareilly, Rameshwar, Dantarda, Jalalpura, and Rajaura Ghat. Status of Operational Ghats Forest force Chief seen avoiding questions When Dainik Bhaskar questioned Madhya Pradesh Forest Force Chief Shubh Ranjan Sen about his failure to stop illegal sand mining, he removed the mic ID. He moved ahead without answering. Sand trolleys are reaching the market every day According to DFO Harishchandra Baghel, they will not discuss anything about the inspection team. SAF has been deployed at Rajghat to stop sand mining and transportation. Surveillance is being conducted through drones. He said that recently, one of our personnel was also murdered, so instructions have been given to everyone to take action while staying safe. Since we have tightened things, mining has stopped to a large extent. Weapons have also been requested for forest workers in the meeting. Some new outposts and checkpoints will be opened.