Illegal Sandmining Devastates Gharial Habitat Along India's Chambal River

The vital floodplains of the Chambal river in Madhya Pradesh, India, are under siege from relentless sandmining, devastating the natural habitat crucial for the survival of gharials, a critically endangered crocodilian species. While temperatures soar above 45°C in the region, a protected sanctuary in Deori offers a temporary refuge for around 240 gharials, housed in specially designed enclosures mimicking their natural environment.

These gharials, some of which are slated for release into the Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary later this year, are fortunate. Outside the sanctuary's confines, the Chambal riverbanks, which should be pristine sand deposits serving as nesting sites for nearly 80-90% of the global wild gharial population, are ravaged. Deep craters scar the landscape, clear evidence of sandmining operations that have replaced the natural sand accumulation essential for gharial nesting.

Sandmining in the area has been ongoing for nearly three decades. Although it was more overt in the early 2000s, it has largely shifted to nighttime operations. Despite repeated court interventions and bans, enforcement on the ground remains weak. A senior forest department official, with 36 years of experience in the area, confirmed that mining has continued unabated.

Even proposals to alter sanctuary boundaries to permit partial sandmining were rejected by the Supreme Court. Earlier this month, the apex court itself acknowledged that measures to prevent illegal sandmining exist only on paper, citing severe enforcement gaps. Hindustan Times spot checks corroborated these observations, revealing that while areas near a major bridge were heavily guarded, sandmining activities merely shifted to nearby locations like Rithona, Ambah, and Nayakpura. Tractors were seen transporting river sand, even in daylight, with intensified movement at night and little resistance from security personnel.

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We have seen sandmining take place here for almost three decades now. While it was out in the open in the early 2000s, it is largely limited to night these days. At the end of the day, mining has not stopped, despite interventions.