📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Nivedita Verm
National
NGT Queries Haryana Over Annual Drone Mapping of Yamuna NGR Mining Site
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 23 Aug 2026, 12:36 PM
👁 19
The National Green Tribunal has asked the Haryana government to confirm whether the Yamuna NGR mining area was surveyed using drones this year.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued a formal query to the Haryana state administration seeking clarification on whether the Yamuna NGR mining site underwent the mandated annual drone‑based mapping exercise. The tribunal highlighted that regular aerial surveys are essential to monitor land degradation, water contamination, and compliance with environmental clearances at mining locations.
According to NGT guidelines, mining operations in ecologically sensitive zones must be mapped each year using high‑resolution drone imagery to detect any unauthorized expansion or ecological impact. The request comes amid growing concerns about unregulated sand extraction along the Yamuna river basin.
Haryana officials have been asked to submit a detailed response, including the drone survey reports, within a stipulated timeframe. The tribunal indicated that failure to provide the required data could lead to further legal scrutiny or penalties under the National Green Tribunal Act.
The outcome of this inquiry may set a precedent for stricter enforcement of environmental monitoring across other mining sites in the state and beyond.
According to NGT guidelines, mining operations in ecologically sensitive zones must be mapped each year using high‑resolution drone imagery to detect any unauthorized expansion or ecological impact. The request comes amid growing concerns about unregulated sand extraction along the Yamuna river basin.
Haryana officials have been asked to submit a detailed response, including the drone survey reports, within a stipulated timeframe. The tribunal indicated that failure to provide the required data could lead to further legal scrutiny or penalties under the National Green Tribunal Act.
The outcome of this inquiry may set a precedent for stricter enforcement of environmental monitoring across other mining sites in the state and beyond.