Supreme Court Upholds Mandatory District Survey Report for Sand Mining: Draft DSR Not Valid
The Supreme Court upheld the National Green Tribunal’s quashing of a sand mining e-auction, ruling that only a final, valid District Survey Report (DSR) permits environmental clearance. It reinforced mandatory DSR compliance under EIA Notifications, stressing strict adherence to environmental regulatory frameworks and prohibiting reliance on draft DSRs.
Facts Of The Case:
The case arose when the District Magistrate of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, issued an e-auction notice dated 13.02.2023 for sand, gravel, and boulder mining in the riverbeds under the U.P. Sub Mineral (Remedy) Rules, 2021. Gaurav Kumar, a resident of Haryana, challenged this notice before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), arguing that the auction was illegal as there was no valid District Survey Report (DSR) at the time....