‘Utter failure’: Supreme Court raps Rajasthan over sand mining mafia in Gharial Sanctuary

The Supreme Court has observed that Rajasthan is proving to be an "utter failure" in combating the sand mining mafia in the Gharial Sanctuary in Chambal. The court noticed severe gaps in the enforcement action proposed by the state, stating that everything is only on paper. The state lacks a mining plan after 2020 and has no eco-sensitive zone notified around the sanctuary. Tractors used in transporting illegally mined sand have no registration plates, and home guards are deployed.