Judgement of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of National Green Tribunal Bar Association Vs Dr. Sarva Bhoum Bagali dated 30/05/2017 regarding illegal sand mining in the middle river Bhima, District Sholapur, Maharashtra.

The miners have invoked business and economic grounds for modification of order dated 19/04/2017(Order prohibited the State of Maharashtra from granting any permission instream suction mining of sand, under any circumstances, without prior approval of the Tribunal). According to them, they have deposited huge auction amounts varying from Rs. 60 lakhs to Rs. 5 crores for purchase of sand site and blocks in the area and they have a right to excavate the sand from such sites and blocks by in-stream mining.

NGT disposes of the Application by stating that Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines of 2016 clearly prohibits in-stream mining and that the mechanical riverbed mining is also impermissible except where the mining is carried on in consonance with the Rules and the Guidelines.