The Supreme Court’s latest indictment of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh over illegal sand mining in and around the inter-state National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary reflects years of judicial frustration with persistent administrative apathy, leading to an environmental and governance crisis. The apex court, which took suo motu cognizance of the matter in March, was particularly harsh on Rajasthan in its May 26 order , slamming its “wholly casual, indifferent and indolent” conduct, and rebuking the state administration for demonstrating “persistent inaction” and a “disturbing lack of seriousness”. Sand mining was prohibited in the Chambal sanctuary in 2006 but illegal extraction has continued and flourished over the years under organised syndicates. The indiscriminate sand extraction has severely disrupted the Chambal’s riverine ecosystem, damaging aquatic habitats and threatening environmental flows, putting at risk the survival of endangered gharials, freshwater dolphins and turtles.…