The Rajasthan Forest Department has finally launched a high-level probe into rampant illegal sandstone mining within the ecologically sensitive Mandana forest block in Kota district. This decisive move comes after persistent allegations from environmentalists that the criminal activity was flourishing under the alleged connivance of local forest officials.
High-Level Inspection Team Dispatched After Protests
Mounting pressure forced the department to act. On Sunday, a senior inspection team led by Forest Conservator C.R. Meena visited the affected sites to assess the ground reality. A senior official confirmed the inspection, stating that a factual report would be submitted soon, paving the way for appropriate action to halt the illegal operations.
The probe was triggered by serious accusations from green activist and whistleblower Tapeshwar Singh Bhati, who has been pursuing the matter for months. Bhati alleged that large-scale illegal mining in Badkalaji village, located inside the Mandana Reserve Forest, was being conducted in open collusion with the mining mafia.
Deep Pits and Open Blasting: The Scale of Destruction
According to field reports, the illegal extraction is currently active at four key locations: Bhandana Nala, DIG, Simlyaheri, and Khodya Khedi (also known locally as Baniyani's Khodya Khedi). The environmental damage is severe and visible.
Enormous pits, some exceeding 100 feet in depth, have been dug across the forest landscape. Shockingly, open blasting is being carried out without any precaution, causing irreversible harm to the local ecosystem and wildlife.
A local resident, speaking anonymously, described the brazen operations. "Tractor-mounted compressors, JCBs, and blasting wires are used openly. Workers operate fearlessly inside the forest as if the land does not belong to the government at all," the source revealed.
Single Access Route Used by Both Mafia and Officials
One of the most damning pieces of evidence pointing to possible insider involvement is the access route. Bhati highlighted that the mining site lies nearly 8 kilometres inside the dense forest from the main road and has only one entry point.
"The same route is used by both the mafia's tractors and forest department staff. Despite repeated written complaints to senior officers, no action was taken. This clearly indicates that mining is being carried out on forest land with the knowledge and connivance of forest officials," Bhati asserted.
Official sources confirmed there are three forest check-posts on this sole corridor leading to the mining sites. Yet, vehicles belonging to the mining mafia reportedly use this passage freely, much like the department's own vehicles.
The Mandana forest is a crucial part of the reserve forest system, covering 13,736.49 hectares under the department's jurisdiction. By law, reserve forests are meant to be inviolate zones where all commercial activities, including tree felling and hunting, are strictly prohibited to protect biodiversity. The ongoing illegal mining represents a fundamental violation of this protective status.
