Illegal riverbed mining

Unauthorised extraction of sand, gravel, and minerals from riverbeds and floodplains violates the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, the Sand Mining Framework 2018, and NGT/Supreme Court directives. Unregulated sediment removal causes channel incision, bank erosion, and groundwater depletion by disrupting riverine hydraulics. Riparian habitat is destroyed and bridge infrastructure destabilised. Enforcement is split between state mining departments and pollution boards, so extraction is usually detected after the channel has already incised, illustrating a recurring intersection of governance failure and ecological damage.