SC steps in to save Chambal sanctuary from sand mining, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court intervened to protect the National Chambal Sanctuary from illegal sand mining.
• The sanctuary is a crucial breeding ground for the critically endangered gharial.
• The court acted based on media reports highlighting the threat posed by sand mining to the river ecosystem.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had previously addressed the issue, ordering periodic monitoring of illegal mining.

Detailed Insights:

• The Chambal River ecosystem faces severe degradation due to rampant sand mining, impacting its morphology and water retention.
• Sand mining activities destroy habitats for sand-nesting species and threaten the relocated gharial population.
• Organized sand mining mafias operate with aggression, often using vehicles without registration numbers to evade law enforcement.
• A conservation plan submitted to the NGT identified sand mining as the most significant threat to the Chambal Sanctuary.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Lotic Ecosystem: An ecosystem associated with flowing freshwater, such as rivers and streams.
• Gharial: A critically endangered fish-eating crocodile species native to the Indian subcontinent.
• Sand Mining: The extraction of sand from riverbeds, often leading to environmental degradation.
• National Green Tribunal (NGT): A specialized judicial body in India that handles environmental disputes.

Gharial