Law On Paper, Destruction On The Ground: Illegal Mining And The Crises Of Environmental Governance In Jharkhand
- IJLLR Journal
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Anjali Bharti, LL.B., LLM. (Criminal Law), The ICFAI University
ABSTRACT
Jharkhand is one of the most mineralized producing states of India, but the environmental damage of its mining sector in the state continues to raise a serious concern. Illegal mining has become a frequent problem which leads to pollution, deforestation, land degradation, abandoned mines and depletion of natural resources. These environmental impacts are not just limited to ecological damage but also affect the health, way of life, and traditional means of subsistence and customs of the tribal people and local populations. Jharkhand is plagued by illicit mining, while India has enacted a number of environmental and mining laws to control and regulate the extraction of minerals and to safeguards natural resources. This raises a key question: whether the problem is that the legislation is inadequate or with the law enforcement? This article suggests that the legislative structure is generally adequate, but the lack of the regulatory monitoring, institutional capacity and poor adherence to environmental commitments are the reason for the inconsistent implementation of its legal framework. The study, based on the current incidents of unlawful mining operations in Jharkhand, recent judgements, and statutory provisions, mainly focuses on the growing gap between environmental law and its enforcement. It comes to the conclusion that the issue of illegal mining requires more than just legislative reform; there is a need for greater institutional responsibility, scientific closure of mines, effective monitoring, and increased role or involvement of local populations in environmental governance.
