National Green Tribunal restrained Sand Mining from Riverbeds

The National Green Tribunal on 5 August 2013 restrained sand mining from riverbeds across the country without obtaining environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. The tribunal stated besides violations of law, the mining activity is being carried out on a large scale, causing state revenue loss which may be running into lakhs of crores of rupees.
The five-member bench headed by tribunal chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the states to reply by  14 August 2013.The bench stated that the contention is that majority of people carrying out the mining activity of removing mineral from the river bed have no license to extract sand.

In the meanwhile, the Tribunal restrains any person, company, authority to carry out any mining activity or removal of sand, from river beds anywhere in the country without obtaining environmental clearance from environment ministry and license from the competent authorities.