Pollution & Degradation

Under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act), sand is a minor mineral. Main sources of sand are agricultural fields, riverbeds and floodplains, coastal and marine sand, lakes and reservoirs. Sand mining is done for use in the construction sector and to extract minerals such as Rutile, Ilmenite and Zircon which contain useful elements Titanium and Zirconium. Sand is used in making glass, ceramics, silicon chips, solar panels, detergents, toothpastes etc.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), sand, along with gravels, are the most extracted minerals-accounting for 69-85% of the minerals mined every year. Further, the construction sector has grown at a fast rate because of rapid urbanization and infrastructure growth and government initiatives like Housing for All. Thus, the demand for sand is increasing every year leading to excessive as well as indiscriminate and illegal mining of sand.

Adverse impact of excessive sand mining can be seen in following ways:

Sand mining, when done at an optimum level, removes excessive sediment deposit in rivers. However, unscientific sand mining depletes river minerals at rates which the river system cannot replenish. Excessive mining undermines the ability of riverbeds and riverbanks to support the infrastructure built on them.

In this context, sustainable sand mining can help ecology in following ways:

• Ensure the conservation of the river equilibrium and its natural environment by protection & restoration of the ecological system.
• Avoid aggradation at the downstream reach especially those with hydraulic structures such as jetties, water intakes etc. and to ensure the rivers are protected from bank and bed erosion beyond its stable profile.
• Ensure there is no obstruction to the river flow, water transport and restoring the riparian habitats.
• Prevent groundwater pollution by prohibiting sand mining on fissures where it works as a filter prior to ground water recharge.
• Flooding is reduced as bed elevations and flood heights decrease, reducing hazard for human occupancy of floodplains and the possibility of damage to engineering works.

Therefore, to ensure sustainable sand mining, the Government of India has launched a Sand Mining Framework to ensure sustainable sand mining practices. Imported sand is also being promoted as an alternative to excessive sand mining.