SAND MINING

NEWS: Supreme Court of India warns of strict action over illegal sand mining in National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary

ABOUT

• Sand miningà Removal of natural sand and sand resources from the environment such as: Rivers, Land areas, Coastal regions, Marine environments
• Sand is extracted to obtain valuable minerals, metals, crushed stones, sand, and gravel, which are then used mainly in the construction industry.

Key Point

Sand miningà Essential for infrastructure and construction, but unregulated or illegal sand mining causes severe environmental damage and threatens ecosystems and local communities.

Sources of Sand in India

According to the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines (SSMMG), 2016, sand in India comes from the following sources:

• River Sources: Riverbeds, Flood plains
• Lakes and Reservoirs: Sand accumulated in water bodies like land reservoirs.
• Agricultural Fields: Sand deposited in fields after flooding or river overflow.
• Coastal / Marine Sand: Sand obtained from coastal regions and sea beds.
• Palaeo-Channels: These are ancient or dried river channels containing sand deposits.
• Manufactured Sand (M-Sand): Artificial sand produced by crushing rocks in machines.

Contributing to Illegal Sand Mining

Lack of Regulation and Enforcement

• Weak regulatory frameworks
• Poor monitoring by authorities
• Allows illegal extraction to continue.

High Demand for Construction Materials

• Sand is a major raw material for construction.
• Rapid urbanization and population growth increase demand.
• This leads to excessive extraction from riverbeds and coastal areas.

Corruption and Sand Mafia

• Organised sand mafias control illegal mining.
• Collusion between officials and illegal operators allows mining to continue.
• This undermines government control

Lack of Sustainable Alternatives

• Limited use of Manufactured Sand (M-Sand).
• Overdependence on natural river sand continues

Consequences of Sand Mining

• According to the Geological Survey of India (GSI)à Sand mining alters riverbeds, Causes erosion
• Removal of sand changes water flow patterns–> Leads to increased flooding
• Sand mining creates deep pits in riverbeds–> This can lower the groundwater table.
• Habitat destruction leads to loss of aquatic and riparian species.