In 2013, the Awaaz Foundation had filed a complaint against illegal coastal sand mining and the existence of sand mafias in the coastal areas of Maharashtra before the NGT, Pune.The division bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) Western Zone comprising comprising Justice V.R. Kingaonkar and expert member Ajay A. Deshpande has passed an order to impose an immediate ban on all illegal sand mining in the coastal areas and those falling in the coastal regulation zone (CRZ). This order will be applicable to Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa.