Excessive Sand Mining Threatens Indian Rivers

�indiscriminate sand mining. The journal India Together
�recently reported, “Despite numerous prohibitions
Many in India, perhaps, are not able to foresee howand regulations, sand mining continues rapidly on the
lack of governance, virtually, in every sphere is going toriverbed of the Bharathapuzha. Water tables have
hit them in not too distant future. Take for instancedropped dramatically, and a land once known for its
mining. Illegal mining of mineral resources, with generousplentiful rice harvest now faces scarcity of water...In
help of political and bureaucratic big wigs, is so rampantthe villages and towns around the river, groundwater
that not only are the country’s precious naturallevels have fallen drastically, and wells are almost
resources being purloined in a big way, its forests areperennially dry”. Last year Palakkad, a district largely
being clean-felled, land degraded and its riversdependent on the river for drinking water, saw “one
threatened with extinction.of its worst droughts in its history”.  Instead of a
Mining of sand, for instance, is depleting the waters offree-flowing river that it was, Bharathappuzha had no
the rivers. While the construction boom fuels thewater in it. Unregulated sand mining during the past
demand, weak governance and rampant corruptiondecade has all but devoured the riverbed. With the
are facilitating uncontrolled and illegal mining of sandsand cover gone, shrubs and acacia groves have
and gravel in the rivers, threatening their verycropped up in the middle of the river. A source of
existence. What is happening is nothing but suicidal.drinking water for about 700,000 people in 175 villages
This mindless, unrestrained and unregulated activity isand several towns, Bharathppuzha is rapidly ceasing to
posing threats of widespread depletion of waterbe so. Meetings and rallies are held on its dry bed while
resources which may lead to avoidable fooddrinking water in the neighbourhood has become
shortages and hardships for the people.scarce. Palakkad, known as the “The rice bowl of
Sand is vital for sustenance of rivers. Geologists knowKerala”, is on the threshold of losing that sobriquet.
that uncontrolled sand mining from the riverbed leadsSimilar has been the fate of the Pamba River,
to the destruction of the entire river system. If sandKerala’s third longest river. For its association with
and gravel is extracted in quantities higher than thethe Sabarimala shrine it is considered sacred and is
capacity of the river to replenish them, it leads toalso known as “Dakshin Ganga”. That, however,
changes in its channel form, physical habitats and foodhas not saved it from meeting the same fate as that
webs – the river’s ecosystem. The removal ofof Bharathappuzah. In fact, reckless sand-mining has
sand from the river bed increases the velocity of thereduced the water-holding capacity of several rivers in
flowing water, the distorted flow-regime eventuallythe state. They become trickles soon after the
erodes the river banks. Beside these on-site effectsmonsoons only to dry up later. Kerala may, in all
the off-site effects are also quite lethal. Sand acts likeprobability, lose its green mantle and may not be able
a sponge, which helps in recharging the water table; itsto live up to its epithet of “God’s own
progressive depletion in the river is accompanied bycountry”.
sinking water tables in the nearby areas, adverselyLittle up north , the supposedly sacred Godavari River,
impacting people’s daily lives, even their livelihood.flowing from West to East over the Deccan plateau,
River sand, therefore, is vital for human wellbeing. That,has been mined so badly for its sands that its basin in
however, is yet to be appreciated, for instance, in thethe Marathwada region of Maharashtra State has
central Indian province of Madhya Pradesh wherealmost dried up. In Aurangabad district, villagers have
unscrupulous contractors, with more than willingrecounted to “Down to Earth”, the well-known
co-operation of the corrupt government officials, areenvironmental periodical, how Godavari would be
emptying the river beds of sand. Whether it is thebrimming with water until only about two years ago,
major rivers like Narmada, Chambal, Betwa orbut now it has considerably shrunk, so much so that
Wainganga or numerous rivulets and streams all arescores of villages in Paithan tehsil have to get water
being ravaged for their sands. The state Governmentthrough tankers. This is so despite the existence of the
has wittingly lent a helping hand for the loot.nearby big Jaikwadi dam. Wells have dried up and
Overstepping its authority, it exempted mining of sandfarmers have to have water piped in over long
and gravel from any kind of environmental clearancesdistances. Rocks jut out in the mercilessly excavated
under Rule 49 of its Minor Mineral Rules notified in 1996,banks of the Godavari near Wadwali village, the
neutralising the provisions made in several Centralresident farmers of which had threatened to commit
legislations on conservation of environment and mineralself-immolation in front of the district collector’s
resources. None of these central legislations hasoffice. According to rules, sand can be excavated only
delegated powers to the states to amend any of theirup to a depth of one metre but greedy contractors,
provisions. Worse, a section of the contentious Rulemost without permits, in connivance with officials, dig up
authorises the government to exempt any mine toto as much as seven metres. Rules and regulations
operate without obtaining environmental clearance.are seldom observed. It is kind of free for all.
Hundreds of lessees of the Mining Corporation ofThe instances cited above are only illustrative. The
Madhya Pradesh are, therefore, merrily excavatingmalaise is pretty widespread as many other states, like
sand from the State’s rivers, generally, disregardingGujarat, Karnatak, Tamilnadu, etc. are also victims of
all environmental regulations. Mercifully, Ajay Dube, theunchecked illegal sand-mining the consequences of
social activist secretary of “Prayatna”, a reputedwhich, needless to say, are very serious. Rivers of
environmental advocacy group, has approached theIndia are already seriously sick. Polluted by industrial
State High Court for quashing of the unconstitutionaland urban effluents, they are also victims of
exemptions so that indiscriminate mining of sand coulddeforestation in their catchments, sequential damming
be put a stop to. After all, the State’s waterand degradation because of unchecked sand-mining
security is at stake, as indeed its food security.on their banks and beds. Besides, erratic monsoons,
The southern state of Kerala, likewise, is experiencinginduced by changing climate is taking its toll, adversely
the effects of the veritable loot. Its second longestimpacting their capacity to sustain the current levels of
river Bharathappuzha has become a victim ofeconomic activities, especially agricultural productivity.