The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has informed the Supreme Court in an affidavit, that the government has made it compulsory for any kind of mining activity to be undertaken only after proper sanction is taken from the concerned authorities. The MoEF has specifically mentioned that for any kind of mining activity for brick earth on the area of less than 5 hectare, it is necessary to get environmental clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA).