The National Green Tribunal on Monday restrained sand mining from riverbeds across the country without obtaining environmental clearance from the union environment ministry.

Issuing notice to chief secretaries of all states, the tribunal said besides violations of law, the mining activity is being carried out on a large scale, causing state revenue loss which may be running into lakhs of crores of rupees.

The five-member bench headed by tribunal chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the states to reply by Aug 14.

The bench said the contention is that majority of people carrying out the mining activity of removing mineral from the river bed have no license to extract sand.

"In the meantime, we restrain any person, company, authority to carry out any mining activity or removal of sand, from river beds anywhere in the country without obtaining environmental clearance from environment ministry and license from the competent authorities," the order said.