Supreme Court panel proposes three-year plan to stop harmful river sand digging

UPDATE - follow-up to Central committee suggests three-year roadmap to phase out unsustainable sand mining from active river channels: The Central Empowered Committee has proposed a three-year schedule to end harmful riverbed mineral collection across the country.

Key Proposals

The statutory body submitted this plan to the Supreme Court on November 2 during a court-initiated case about unlawful digging in the National Chambal Sanctuary. The panel noted that bad and excessive removal of sand and gravel from riverbeds and floodplains harms the natural flow and balance of waterways. Such unscientific digging causes riverbed damage, lowers groundwater levels, ruins water habitats, and harms nearby infrastructure.

Solutions

To replace active river digging, the committee advised building up safe material sources like manufactured sand, recycled building waste, and silt cleared from dams. State governments should encourage manufactured sand production through incentives and quality checks. The Centre and states must also launch a joint national program to clear silt from reservoirs to create a steady material supply.

Context

The report points out that India lacks a single reliable national database to measure the total amount or worth of unlawfully dug river sand. The panel therefore asked for better monitoring systems in allowed mining zones, including digital tracking of mineral transport, regular replenishment checks, and strict enforcement of environmental rules.