Madhya Pradesh authorities have taken various security and preventive measures in Morena district to curb illegal sand mining across the Chambal river, officials said Thursday (April 16, 2026). The move comes in view of the recent sharp observations made by the Supreme Court slamming the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. 

Senior officials in Morena told The Hindu that the State authorities have sent a company of the Special Armed Forces (SAF) to Morena which has been stationed at various sensitive locations along the river to prevent miners to carry out illegal digging and taking sand. 

The decisions were taken at meetings of the District Level Mining Task Force which comprises of the Collector, Superintendent of Police (SP), the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), the District Mining Officer, and the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) over the past few days.

Zila Panchayat CEO Kamlesh Kumar Bhargava, who is also the incharge Collector, said that directions have been issued to bar fuel pumps from giving petrol, diesel or CNG to vehicles that do not have a registration number. 

“The pumps have been informed that any violations to the new directions will attract administrative action. We are also going to install CCTV cameras at sensitive locations where illegal mining is carried out,” Mr. Bhargava said, adding that the decision was taken after top administration and police officials visited such locations in the district. 

Morena SP Samir Sourabh said that 50% personnel from the SAF company have been deployed at Rajghat, which he described as the most crucial location related to illegal sand mining. 

“We have set up three tents at Rajghat and have given the teams sirens along with making lighting arrangements. The remaining personnel have been deployed at other key locations,” Mr. Sourabh said, adding that the SAF teams will work under the forest department. 

Mr. Sourabh also said that the police are working to gather intelligence on the notorious groups or individuals that are involved in illegal sand mining in the region to take preventive actions against them. 

“We are mulling over various measures. In case, someone has two or more cases involving illegal mining, we may exile the person from the district,” the SP said, adding that the measures will be intensified in the coming days. 

The Supreme Court, on April 13, slammed the two States over illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary region, especially around the pillars of the Chambal bridge that connects Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. A Division Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta also expressed shock over the recent killing of a forest guard in Morena by alleged sand miners. 

“They are digging up the bridge and if the bridge falls, who will be responsible? The photographs are self-explanatory. Forest officials are run over by sand mafias and the foundation of a bridge is dug. This is an absolutely shocking state of affairs. Either the state government has failed to control the illegal sand mining or it is in connivance,” the court observed. 

The court has been hearing a suo motu matter regarding the issue in the region.