Delhi CM Rekha Gupta urges Yogi Adityanath to take action against sand mining: 'Posing flood risk'

Calling it an inter-state issue requiring joint enforcement, Gupta proposed coordinated action between the Delhi and UP governments

In a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta urged him to take immediate steps to stop illegal sand mining along the bank of river Yamuna near the Delhi-UP border.

According to reports, Delhi CM informed her UP counterpart that sand mining along the river is adversely impacting the river embankments and increasing the risk of flooding in the national capital region.

Gupta reportedly said the illegal extraction of sand is not only posing a flood risk but also causing long-term ecological damage, citing multiple observations made by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The NGT has been expressing its concern over unregulated mining along the river.

"The NGT has consistently flagged illegal sand mining as a serious environmental issue," she wrote in the letter, calling for urgent regulatory intervention to prevent further damage.

The Delhi CM wrote this letter following several reports of continued sand mining along Yamuna despite restrictions and earlier warnings by environmental authorities.

She also pointed out that the local communities living near the river are the directly affected as many of whom have to deal with the changes in the river flow and degradation of the riverbed.

She highlighted that such illegal activities are altering the natural course of the river and are contributing to erosion and ecological imbalance.

Calling it an inter-state issue requiring joint enforcement, she proposed coordinated action between the Delhi and UP governments.

This includes a joint demarcation of jurisdiction along the river to avoid confusion in enforcement responsibilities.

"The absence of clear boundaries has complicated monitoring and action," she wrote, underscoring that such ambiguity has allowed illegal operations to continue unchecked.

Gupta requested that UP start administrative coordination to address the issue with the Delhi government seeking a collaborative approach on the issue.