While the issue of sand mining had been known earlier as well, it has gained significant legal prominence ever since the Supreme Court of India, in its order dated February 27, 2012, went on to systematically record how India’s rivers and its riparian ecology have been severely affected due to an “alarming rate of unrestricted sand mining.”  Recognising that small-scale mining of minor minerals from riverbeds is an important economic activity, the order noted that unrestricted and uncontrolled form of such mining has had a huge environmental impact...It has been three years since the apex court of India issued clear directions, but a walk by almost any river in the country will show that massive excavation of riverbeds is still routine.