January 17, 2026 : The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal has found serious lapses in environmental compliance in a case involving sand mining along the Ganga river near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The judgment was delivered on January 16, 2026, in an application filed by Delhi resident Aman Chaudhary, who alleged large-scale illegal sand mining and damage to the river’s natural flow in Kanpur and Unnao districts.
The case centred on mining activities carried out by Nagendra Singh, proprietor of M/s Vaishnavi Enterprises, who held a five-year mining lease for riverbed sand extraction at Katari Sunaudha village in Bilhaur tehsil, Kanpur Nagar. While the lease was supported by an environmental clearance issued in February 2018, the Tribunal found that mining operations were conducted for several years without obtaining mandatory Consent to Operate and Consent to Establish from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board under the Water and Air Acts.
A joint inspection committee constituted by the Tribunal reported that although mining was largely confined within the sanctioned lease area, key environmental safeguards were missing. The committee noted the absence of air and water quality monitoring, failure to submit six-monthly compliance reports, lack of green belt development, and non-implementation of promised corporate social responsibility activities. An approach road constructed within the river’s active zone was also found to obstruct the natural flow of the Ganga.
The applicant had alleged that an illegal bridge was built across the river, splitting the Ganga into two streams and posing flood risks to nearby villages. However, after examining satellite imagery and inspection reports, the Tribunal concluded that no permanent or temporary bridge was found within the mining lease area. On this issue, the allegations were not substantiated.
Despite this, the Tribunal held that operating a riverbed mining project without statutory pollution control consents amounted to a serious violation of environmental law. The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board assessed environmental compensation of over ₹4.29 crore for 1,145 days of mining without consent. Although the penalty was initially set aside by the Allahabad High Court on procedural grounds, the Board later reissued a show-cause notice and reaffirmed the compensation after granting a hearing.
The judgment also highlighted systemic failures by state authorities, including poor coordination between the mining department and the pollution control board, which allowed mining to continue without regulatory oversight for years. The Tribunal reiterated that riverbed sand mining falls within the “red category” of industries and cannot commence without prior consent, regardless of whether permanent structures are created.
Noting that the applicant failed to appear during the final hearings, the Tribunal disposed of the case with detailed findings and directions, stressing the need for stricter enforcement of sustainable sand mining guidelines and accountability of regulatory bodies in protecting river ecosystems.
Case Reference : Original Application No. 176/2022, Sh. Aman Chaudhary vs Union of India and Others; Counsels: For the Applicant, none appeared; Amicus Curiae: Mr. Raj Panjwani, Senior Advocate; For the Respondents: Mr. Somesh Chandra Jha for Respondent No. 1, Ms. Pushpila Bisht for Respondent No. 2, Mr. Saurav Balwani for Respondent No. 3, Mr. Pradeep Misra for Respondent No. 4, and Mr. Mukesh Verma for Respondent Nos. 5 and 6.
