Madhya Pradesh to deploy over 100 guards, check posts to combat illegal sand mining at Chambal sanctuary

Surveillance measures include 35 CCTV cameras and AI systems, prompted by Supreme Court actions against the ongoing threat to wildlife and ecological integrity.

The Madhya Pradesh forest department will deploy more than 100 armed guards, permanent check posts and a surveillance system to protect the Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary from illegal sand mining, officials said on Wednesday.

National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh enjoys tri-state ecology. It fosters and raises critically endangered species like Indian Gharials and Gangetic Dolphins. (@uptourismgov/ Twitter)

“By September, we will set up 16 permanent check posts, install 35 CCTV cameras, and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) monitoring system at 44 sensitive ghats, where rampant illegal mining has been reported. The decision follows the Supreme Court’s suo motu action against sand mining in the sanctuary,” said Shyam Singh, superintendent of Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary.

He added that the forest guards would get 12-bore pump-action guns after the state government granted immunity to the forest officials in firearm use cases. Training sessions under police supervision will be conducted for forest guards to use firearms in emergencies. According to officials, 145 forest guards and 45 foresters from Morena division will undergo training before deployment.

Principal chief conservator of forests Subhranjan Sen said, “We have already provided the required number of forest guards and foresters with firearms to check the illegal mining menace in Morena. Training will now be conducted with a standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with those involved in illegal sand mining.”

The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of illegal sand mining in the Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary, which spans 732 sq km across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. This mining has adversely impacted the home of gharials, dolphins, and tortoises.

In its observations, a Supreme Court bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said, “The duties discharged by forest officers and forest guards within the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary are not confined merely to protection of forests and wildlife. These personnel are entrusted with the highly dangerous task of safeguarding ecologically fragile and strategically significant wildlife habitats from organised illegal sand mining, poaching, and other unlawful activities.”

The Supreme Court directed Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh to provide legal protection and prosecution immunity to frontline forest guards.