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The Supreme Court connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) observed that a “woeful shortage” of unit successful Rajasthan’s Forest Department was severely impeding efforts to combat the mining mafia operating wrong the Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, and urged the State to expedite the recruitment process.
Taking up a suo motu proceeding initiated connected the ground of quality reports highlighting large-scale amerciable soil mining successful the tri-State sanctuary dispersed crossed Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta expressed superior interest implicit the acute understaffing successful the Forest Department, peculiarly successful presumption of Rajasthan’s immense and ecologically important wood cover.
“Why is the Forest Department truthful understaffed successful the State of Rajasthan? Rajasthan has specified premier forests. It being truthful short-staffed is highly serious,” the Bench observed.
The remarks were made portion addressing Rajasthan’s Additional Chief Secretary (Forest), who was personally contiguous successful the courtroom pursuant to an earlier direction. On May 14, the apical tribunal had summoned elder bureaucrats from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for displaying what it described arsenic a “wholly casual” approach towards preventing the “irreversible biology degradation” occurring wrong the sanctuary.
Justice Mehta pointed retired that the shortage of unit had resulted successful location guards being deployed to execute the duties of wood guards. “We are told that adjacent successful captious areas, location guards are driving wood vehicles,” helium remarked.
‘Backlog’ successful recruitment
The Bench besides sought details regarding the past recruitment thrust for wood guards. In response, the elder bureaucrat informed the tribunal that the erstwhile recruitment had taken spot 4 years ago, prompting the Bench to observe that specified a “backlog” was a substance of superior concern.
“Recruitment is being carried retired for assorted departments... it volition instrumentality 1 year,” the elder bureaucrat apprised the court.
Justice Mehta, however, observed that the recruitment process for the Forest Department ought to beryllium prioritised and expedited. “Perhaps you tin impulse that the process beryllium expedited... the Staff Selection Board tin beryllium asked to expedite recruitment for the Forest Department,” helium said.
The Bench besides flagged concerns that members of the mining mafia were often amended equipped than wood personnel. Earlier, the apical tribunal had expressed alarm astatine the impunity with which amerciable soil miners operated wrong the ecologically fragile sanctuary zone, peculiarly aft being informed of incidents successful which wood officials had allegedly been killed by the mafia.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for Rajasthan, informed the tribunal that astir ₹2.5 crore had been sanctioned by the Finance Department towards mobile patrol vehicles, connection instrumentality and protective cogwheel for wood personnel. She further apprised the Bench that 4 imperishable and 7 impermanent cheque posts had been established to show the sanctuary area.
The Bench, however, cautioned the State authorities against leaving “critical points” wrong the sanctuary unguarded owing to the shortage of staff.
‘Kingpins’ down mining network
Senior advocator Nikhil Goel, assisting the tribunal arsenic amicus curiae, pointed retired that though the State had disclosed successful its affidavit that astir 625 FIRs had been registered, the authorities had been incapable to place the persons orchestrating the amerciable mining operations. “It is not imaginable to judge that determination are 600 arrests, but they are not capable to find retired who really runs the operation,” helium submitted.
Justice Mehta observed that the authorities indispensable absorption connected apprehending the “kingpins” down the mining network. “The kingpins person to beryllium caught clasp of... the State needs to absorption connected uncovering the source,” helium remarked.
In response, the State authorities informed the Bench that successful definite cases the main perpetrators had been apprehended and transgression proceedings initiated against them.
During the hearing, Justice Mehta besides observed that residents of adjacent villages ought to beryllium provided with alternate sources of livelihood truthful that they were not compelled to prosecute successful amerciable mining activities. “You person to supply alternate employment...that is simply a argumentation the State has to travel up with,” helium said.
Ms. Bhati acknowledged the interest and submitted that the State authorities was conducting consciousness programmes successful gram panchayats regarding the rollout of assorted inducement schemes. “It has to beryllium a concentrated effort due to the fact that sometimes it is casual to get casual money,” she remarked.
The Bench said it would analyse the affidavits filed by the States arsenic good arsenic the National Highways Authority of India, and walk further orders connected May 26.
Earlier, the apical tribunal had directed the deployment of high-resolution, Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras astatine strategical points crossed the sanctuary, peculiarly on routes commonly utilized by amerciable miners and successful susceptible stretches of the Chambal river. It had besides ordered GPS tracking to beryllium installed successful each vehicles and instrumentality progressive successful mining successful the 2 captious districts of Morena (Madhya Pradesh) and Dholpur (Rajasthan).
