Subscribe
The Supreme Court (SC) on May 14, 2026 directed senior officials from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to appear personally before the court with detailed affidavits on steps taken to rein in illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary.
Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department; the Principal Secretary, Department of Mining and Geology; the Principal Secretary, Finance Department; the Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department and the Principal Secretary, Transport and Road Safety Department, Rajasthan to remain personally present before the court on the next date of hearing, May 20, 2026.
The officers were asked to file comprehensive individual compliance affidavits placing on record the steps undertaken in furtherance of the directions issued by the SC vide orders dated April 2, 2026 and April 17, 2026 as well as the present order, together with the timelines within which the remaining measures proposed to be undertaken should be fully implemented.
The Principal Secretary, Transport and Road Safety Department, Madhya Pradesh, was directed to appear in person before the SC on the next date of hearing.
The affidavit should disclose the enforcement measures undertaken to identify and prevent the operation of unregistered and unidentified vehicles involved in mining and transportation activities; the steps taken to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989; the action initiated against any erring officials and violators; and the further corrective and preventive measures proposed to be implemented within a definite timeline.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was directed to be impleaded as a party respondent in the proceedings.
NHAI should file a detailed affidavit on or before the next date of hearing specifically indicating the measures undertaken or proposed to be undertaken for safeguarding the structural integrity and security of the bridge over River Chambal connecting Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in light of the continuing illegal mining activities in its vicinity.
The affidavit should also indicate as to why the apex court should not direct the National Highways Authority of India to install appropriate CCTV surveillance and monitoring mechanisms on and around the said bridge so as to ensure effective real-time monitoring of illegal mining and transportation activities, the order said.
Taking a serious view of the application filed by villagers living near Sijimali hills, Rayagada district, Odisha facing the threat of bauxite mining in their area, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the submission of response in two days. The case has been next listed for hearing on May 20, 2026.
The tribunal May 14, 2026 directed that notice be issued to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation; Vedanta Limited; Divisional Forest Officer Rayagada Forest Division among others.
The applicants have submitted that the Sijimali hills holds immense religious and cultural significance to the people of Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers belonging to Kandha, Dombo, Gouda communities living in 44 villages in and around the area sought to be mined. It is the abode of their god Tijraja.
Vedanta Ltd's proposal covers 18 villages and two villages (Malipadar and Tijmali) are proposed to be evicted in their entirety. The communities depend on these hills for their lives and livelihoods. Their water resources, farmlands, forest produce and sacred groves are all inextricably connected to the Tijmali hills.
The affected tribal communities have been registering their protest and trying to protect their rights guaranteed inter alia under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
The eastern bench of NGT May 14, 2026 directed the West Bengal State Pollution Control Board (WBSPCB) to inspect Malbazar Super Facility Hospital, Jalpaiguri and in case of environmental violations to take remedial measures including action for prosecution of the concerned Medical Superintendent and other officers responsible for the same. WBSPCB is directed to file its further action taken report at least one week before the next date of hearing, September 7, 2026.
The bench of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi expressed displeasure at the delay in filing responses by the authorities even though more than "three effective opportunities have been granted" to the respondents for filing of their responses and gave one last opportunity to file their responses within a period of four weeks.
The applicant, Subhas Datta, stated that on May 11, 2024 while visiting North Bengal, he had observed in the backyard of Malbazar Super Facility Hospital bio-medical wastes and other general wastes of the hospital were dumped together. Photographs were also filed to show the condition of the waste lying open in the Malbazar Super Facility Hospital.
