The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in the granting of mining permissions near the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, stating that the matter raises “fundamental environmental questions”.
The order was passed on Wednesday by the central zonal body of NGT in Bhopal in response to a petition filed by Pawan Singh, who alleged discrepancies in official records regarding the distance of some mining leases from the protected forest area.
According to the petitioner, several mining leases that were earlier written off or closed for lack of mandatory National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) clearance were later revived on the basis of a revised distance certificate showing that the mines are outside the 10-kilometre regulated area around the reserve.
The petitioner alleged that previous government records had placed mining leases within 10 kilometers of Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary, leading to rejection of mining proposals. However, a later report reportedly revised the distance to more than 10 kilometres, paving the way for mining approvals. The petitioner questioned the basis of the revised measurement and requested an independent investigation into the discrepancy.
A bench comprising Justice Chiu Kumar Singh, Judicial Member, and Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, Expert Member, noted that the allegations merited further examination as they involved significant environmental concerns.
The court directed the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Rajasthan, to conduct an investigation through concerned senior officials to accurately determine the distance between the leased mining areas and the Sariska protected area. The investigation will also check whether established environmental and wildlife protection standards have been violated.
In addition, the NGT has constituted a joint committee comprising a senior representative of the Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan, a representative of the Alwar District Collector, and a representative of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB).
The committee has been instructed to conduct an inspection of the site and submit a factual and actionable report to the court within six weeks. Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board has been appointed as the nodal agency to coordinate inspection and provide logistical support.
The court also issued notices to all the defendants in the matter and directed them to file their responses within six weeks.
The case has been listed for next hearing on September 1, 2026.
