The Supreme Court on Monday (January 8) directed the Rajasthan government to come up with a technology that enables building of houses without sand.

The bench comprising Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta was hearing a petition related to the sand mining in Rajasthan.

During the course of proceedings, the counsel representing Rajasthan submitted an affidavit as directed by the apex court. Taking cognizance of it, the bench said that in Bhutan, there is no sand but construction is still done, whereas in India sand is required for the construction and mafias are operating and killing people who try to obstruct them. The top court asked the Rajasthan government to find out the technology being used by Bhutan.

The apex court also directed the counsel to the report within three weeks on environment clearance and listed the matter after six weeks while staying the 82 licences for sand mining issued by the Rajasthan government till then.

—India Legal Bureau