High Court’s Stern Tone Is a Wake-Up Call for Uttarakhand
Haridwar illegal sand mining! (Image District administration, Haridwar)
In a damning indictment, HC sought a detailed “corruption graph” from the Uttarakhand Chief Secretary
By MANISH ANAND
NEW DELHI, July 25, 2025 — The recent rebukes delivered by the Uttarakhand High Court, as reported in Amar Ujala on July 15, should stir serious introspection within both the state machinery and the public. From corruption in governance to illegal mining on the banks of the Ganga, the judiciary’s sharp words underscore the administrative rot festering unchecked in the state.
The High Court’s deep concern over the state government’s failure to tackle corruption is alarming. That the court had to demand a detailed “corruption graph” from the Chief Secretary is a damning indictment of a system that either refuses or is unable to acknowledge its own flaws.
The court’s question—”When will corruption end in the state?”—is more than rhetorical. It is a reflection of the public’s own fatigue with institutional apathy.
Illegal Mining: A Battle That Even the Army May Not Win
Equally damning is the court’s frustration in a case related to illegal mining along the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar. During the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Matri Sadan, the court questioned whether even 127 battalions of the Indian Army could stop the illegal mining rampant across riverbeds. Incidentally, the Army representative responded, saying that he would get back after consulting superiors.
The court’s sarcasm lays bare the helplessness of state authorities in confronting the mining mafia. Despite repeated directions from both the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the courts, the machinery on the ground either lacks will or is in connivance with the offenders. The shocking admission that 48 stone crushers were operating in blatant violation of rules near Haridwar points to deep-rooted collusion between operators and regulators.
That Uttarakhand fails to crackdown on environment offenders is also saddening, for the state seems forgetting natural disasters in recent years. Unabated stone crushing and roads abutting with trucks carrying the gains of illegal mining seem a new normal.
Judiciary: The Last Bastion?
When courts start demanding basic governance metrics from governments—like a corruption map—it is not just a call for action, it is a signal of despair. Judiciary cannot be expected to substitute governance. But in Uttarakhand’s case, it increasingly appears to be the only functioning institution attempting to uphold the rule of law and public interest.
While judicial activism may be admirable in these cases, it also reflects a broader democratic failure—of bureaucrats not doing their job, of politicians not being held accountable, and of watchdog bodies sleeping on their responsibilities.
Course Correction Is Not Optional
The Uttarakhand government must treat these court observations not as adversarial attacks but as opportunities for urgent reform. Be it corruption, or illegal mining, each issue eats away at public trust and institutional credibility.
If a corruption map is what it takes to wake up the administration, so be it. If a judge must ask whether even the Army can stop the loot of natural resources, it’s time for the political class to take a hard look in the mirror. Equally saddening is the national mainstream media not finding space for reportage of such administrative lapse so near the national capital.
It is not the judiciary’s job to govern—but if the executive continues to fail, it will have no choice but to be governed from the courtroom.
(This is an opinion piece, and views expressed are those of the author)
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