Jaipur, May 22 -- The National Green Tribunal's (NGT) Central Zone Bench has dismissed an appeal challenging environmental clearance granted for sand mining in Beawar district. The case centred on allegations that mining leases auctioned in districts including Tonk, Bhilwara, Sawai Madhopur and Ajmer violated directions issued earlier by the Supreme Court and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). The petitioner argued that sand mining in previously excavated blocks was environmentally unsustainable and contrary to replenishment norms. However, after examining records related to Beawar district, the bench, comprising judicial member Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, on May 19 found no illegality in the environmental clearance granted by the state environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA). It noted that issues related to groundwater, water conservation, plantation and environmental safeguards had been considered during the approval process. The tribunal accepted the state's submission that excavation would be restricted to a depth of 1.5 metres, while groundwater existed nearly eight metres below the riverbed surface, reducing the possibility of adverse impact on groundwater levels. It also noted that wells near the mining area would be protected and no excavation would take place within 45 metres of such wells. Dismissing the appeal, the tribunal held that the SEIAA had duly considered compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, the Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020, and the approved mining plan before granting clearance. It directed the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) to continue monitoring groundwater levels around the mining area. Additionally, the tribunal referred to a series of Supreme Court judgments to highlight the devastating ecological impact of excessive sand mining on rivers, groundwater, biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems....