New Delhi, Nov. 11 -- Illegal sand mining continues across the country because of inadequate monitoring and weak enforcement after environmental clearances are granted, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has told the Supreme Court, recommending a series of measures to curb the practice, including stricter audits and digital tracking. In a report dated November 2, the committee, which assists the court on environmental matters, said illegal sand mining was a "widespread" and "persistent" concern. It recommended measures to strengthen monitoring of riverbed mining and reduce dependence on sand extracted from rivers to meet the growing demand for construction. The report, titled "Rivers and Mining", was submitted in a suo motu proceeding initiated by the Supreme Court over illegal mining inside the National Chambal Sanctuary. It is a first-of-its-kind pan-India assessment of river sand mining, following reports of illegal extraction from the Chambal and Ken rivers. "The main reason for persistence of illegal mining is the gap between grant of environmental clearance and continuing post-clearance monitoring," the CEC said. The committee, however, could not quantify the extent of illegal sand mining in the country, citing the absence of reliable national data. "There is no consolidated, reliable national database that quantifies the volume or value of illegally extracted river sand. The available material establishes that illegal sand mining is a persistent and geographically widespread enforcement concern but does not support a scientifically defensible national estimate of its total volume or value," the report said. The only available figures cited were from the Union ministry of mines for 2021-22, covering illegal mining of both major and minor minerals. Sand is classified as a minor mineral and its extraction requires prior environmental clearance under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, along with compliance with state rules....