Jaipur: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Zone Bench, Bhopal Thursday ordered a drone survey of 28 mining leases in Koliya village of Didwana district to ascertain whether excavation has taken place beyond sanctioned lease boundaries or on protected Gochar (grazing) land.Disposing of the matter, the tribunal directed Rajasthan authorities to strengthen environmental monitoring, enforce sustainable mining guidelines and initiate action wherever illegal mining is detected.The applicant alleged, “Mining was being carried out on Gochar land without environmental clearance, statutory permissions or pollution control measures, causing dust pollution, land degradation and damage to nearby houses due to blasting.”The applicant relied on GPS-tagged photographs, Jamabandi (land title) records and maps to claim that the land was legally protected from mining.A joint committee of district collector and Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) reported that all 28 mining leases had been legally sanctioned by the department of mines and geology.“Of these, 21 hold valid Consent to Operate (CTO) while seven leases lack valid consent but are non-operational. During the inspection, all mining activity was found suspended due to the monsoon,” reads the order.The committee found missing boundary pillars and information boards at several lease sites, preventing verification of whether excavation had remained within approved lease limits. Plantation within lease areas was found unsatisfactory, while lease holders failed to produce records of regular water sprinkling for dust suppression. It also reported one case of illegal mining detected during 2025-26, in which a penalty of Rs 1.48 lakh was imposed and recovered.On complaints of blasting-induced damage, the committee found no evidence linking cracks in the complainant’s house to mining vibrations, considering its distance from the nearest lease. However, it observed that mining sites lacked mandatory warning sirens before blasting, describing it as a safety concern.The RSPCB informed the tribunal that inspections carried out following complaints found environmental violations at two industrial units. After regulatory action, one unit achieved compliance, while closure directions were issued against the other under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, for continued non-compliance.The tribunal directed the mines department to complete the drone survey within a time-bound period and initiate recovery of illegally extracted minerals, penalties and FIRs wherever mining beyond lease boundaries or on Gochar land is detected. It also directed implementation of the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016, and Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020, periodic monitoring by the RSPCB, verification of blasting safety by the Directorate General of Mines Safety and the Mines Department, installation of warning sirens at mining sites, and development of a common green belt through plantation of native species.
