Illegal sand mining found on Yamuna’s islands, Delhi govt tells NGT

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta is expected to write to her Uttar Pradesh counterpart, Yogi Adityanath, to resolve jurisdictional confusions

The Delhi government has found evidence of illegal sand mining on small islands located midstream in the Yamuna and is preparing to escalate the matter to the Uttar Pradesh government for joint action. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta is expected to write to her Uttar Pradesh counterpart, Yogi Adityanath, to resolve long-pending jurisdictional confusions that make enforcement difficult, Delhi’s revenue secretary informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) this week.

The submission came in NGT’s suo motu proceedings over illegal mining near Ghaziabad. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

The government told NGT that all measures were being taken to ensure no illegal sand-mining occurs on the Delhi stretch of the river, but jurisdiction problems existed, particularly with respect to sand islands in the centre of the river.

The submission, filed on behalf of the Delhi chief secretary, came in response to the tribunal’s suo motu proceedings initiated after a November 2024 news report highlighted rampant illegal mining along the Yamuna near Ghaziabad.

“A comprehensive field inspection was carried out on June 2, 2025, by the SDM (Alipur), Tehsildar, Naib Tehsildar, Halka Patwari, and police personnel at Shank No. 24 and Shank No. 13. The Patwari’s site report, supported by photographic and video evidence, confirms ongoing mining activity on islands formed mid-channel in the Yamuna, particularly east of Tehri Daulatpur, in areas where jurisdiction is uncertain,” said the reply dated August 22.

It added that Delhi officials face limitations when enforcement requires cross-border cooperation. While the Delhi government said strict measures are already in place on its side of the river, the absence of a clearly demarcated interstate boundary along the floodplains continues to hamper decisive action.

In its submission, the government said police and district administration have been instructed to act immediately if fresh illegal mining is spotted, including by lodging FIRs. Although no new mining has been seen recently, officials acknowledged that signs of earlier digging were observed as recently as March this year.

On the Delhi side, instances of sand excavation had been reported earlier as well. In August 2024, the Delhi government’s irrigation and flood control department (I&FC) flagged illegal activity near Sungarpur village in Palla. Officials said the area is now under round-the-clock police patrolling.

The report also highlighted the Delhi government’s recent policy-level interventions. Chief minister Rekha Gupta convened a high-level meeting on August 1, 2025, specifically to address the issue of illegal sand mining and jurisdictional confusion along the Yamuna. Discussions focused on enforcement gaps, the urgent need for joint river demarcation with Uttar Pradesh, and strict implementation of NGT’s earlier directions.

Gupta had already written to Adityanath on July 7, 2025, requesting interstate cooperation to tackle the problem. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister responded on July 15, assuring support for a joint demarcation exercise as a long-term solution.

The Delhi government emphasised that while its enforcement teams are active, only a clear demarcation of river boundaries and coordinated surveillance with Uttar Pradesh can end illegal extraction from the Yamuna’s mid-channel islands.