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Sand mining

2023 FEB 7

Mains   > Environment & Ecology   >   Degradation & Deforestation   >   Soil pollution

IN NEWS:

  • An IAS officer of Odisha cadre and his driver were attacked by sand mining mafia in Balasore district during inspection.
  • Coal India Ltd (CIL) plans to set up five plants for processing fragmented rock (known as Overburden Rocks) to manufactured sand (M-Sand) between May 2023 and July 2024.

SAND:

  • According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the world uses 50 billion tonnes of sand and gravel every year, making it the planet’s second most-used resource after water.
  • Sand can be broadly categorised into two:
    • Inactive sand: These sand bodies are static and lie outside of the influences of the present-day sedimentary cycle.
    • Active sand: These sand bodies are subject to modern erosional and depositional processes.
  • Sand is critical for the production of concrete, asphalt, and glass and build vital physical infrastructure like building, roads and dams.
  • By providing habitats and breeding grounds for diverse flora and fauna, sand also plays a vital function in supporting biodiversity, including marine plants that act as carbon sinks or filter water.
  • In general, extraction of inactive sand deposits is unlikely to cause impacts beyond immediate physical disturbance. In contrast, extraction from active sand bodies have serious and diverse harmful implications.

SAND MINING IN INDIA:

  • The Union Ministry of Mines categorises sand as a “minor mineral”. But it is one of the most important resources of the country.
  • As per the UNEP, India and China are the critical hotspots for sand extraction, because they lead globally on infrastructure and construction.
  • According to estimates, the annual demand for sand in urban India alone was 60 million metric tonnes in 2019.
  • The rising need for this resource has led to the proliferation of sand mining activities and businesses in the country.

WHY ILLEGAL SAND MINING?

  • Strong demand:
    • India is witnessing rapid urbanisation. The UN Habitat’s World Cities Report 2022 estimates India’s urban population to stand at 675 million in 2035. To meet this demand, more infrastructure is needed.
  • Cartelisation:
    • Generally, state governments allocate sand blocks on auction basis to bidders. However, to keep their margins high, the bidders form cartels that manipulate the supply and to control the prices. This results in high price for legally excavated sand.
  • Corruption:
    • Since sand is a lucrative business, sand mafias have emerged across the country. They have developed nexuses with politicians, contractors, criminals and administrative officials, which drives large-scale illegal sand mining.
  • Poor regulation:
    • Since sand is categorised as a minor mineral, State Governments have powers for regulating the extraction and levy and collect royalty.
    • Union Ministries have issued guidelines to help states frame their sand policies. However, these guidelines are advisory in nature are often not enforced.
  • Absence of data:
    • In most states, there is no credible data about the availability of sand at a particular location, and the depth and amount extracted should be regulated. This hinders effective monitoring and regulation of sand mining.
  • Mining bans:
    • There have been many instances of mining ban by courts and governments. However, the Supreme Court has viewed that a total ban on mining gives rise to illegal activities besides causing huge loss to the public exchequer.

IMPACT OF SAND MINING:

  • Impact on water resources:
    • Excessive mining causes the river to change its course, deplete groundwater table and increase the salinisation of aquifers and groundwater reserves.
  • Impact on ecosystem:
    • When sand is mined from riverine and marine ecosystems, the water becomes turbid, which in turn affects the water’s oxygen content and the ability of lifeforms to survive in it.
    • Sand loss is a direct threat for wetlands as it forms a critical ingredient of habitats for waterbirds and their overall ecosystem.
  • Loss of human life:
    • Between January 2019 and November 2020, at least 193 people were killed in connection with illegal sand-mining. Many of them were people who drowned in the large pits that sand mining leaves behind on river beds.
    • Many activists, police officials and journalists who have probed illegal sand mining issues have died in the line of duty.
  • Aggravates disasters:
    • Excessive sand mining can alter the river bed, force the river to change course, erode banks and lead to flooding.
    • Sand mining reduces the water retention capacity of rivers, which could result in severe droughts.
    • In the Himalayan areas, especially when sand is mined using excavator machines and blasting techniques, it can lead to landslides and subsidence.
    • Removing coastal sand increases the vulnerability to storm surges and impacts from sea level rise.

Case study: Gharials and Sand mining

  • In 1981, 161 kilometres around the Son river was declared a wildlife sanctuary to protect the critically endangered gharials.
  • However, illegal sand mining has reduced the nesting and basking sites in the river. This, coupled with uneven flow of water from a dam and illegal constructions, have led to a decline in the population of gharials to just 20 in 2021.
  • Similarly, rampant sand mining within National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS) is forcing gharials to migrate to Kuno and Parbati rivers, tributaries of the Chambal, in search of safer egg-laying habitats.

EXISTING REGULATIONS:

  • The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957:
    • Sand is a minor mineral, as defined under section 3(e) of the MMDR Act.
    • Section 15 of the MMDR Act empowers state governments to make rules for regulating the grant of mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals. Hence, State Governments have framed their own minor minerals concession rules.
    • As per Section 23C of the Act, control of illegal mining is under the legislative and administrative jurisdiction of state governments.
  • The Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016:
    • Released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, it aims to promote scientific mining of sand and encourage environment friendly management practices.
    • It recommends actions to be taken for sustainable sand extraction, emphasises monitoring and suggests that governments map the district-wise availability of sand.
  • Sand mining framework, 2018:
    • Released by the Ministry of Mines, the suggestions in the framework provides the states a roadmap to help them frame their policies and act as a check on illegal mining of sand.
    • The framework suggests the use of geo-fencing, and GPS-enabled transportation to check illegal mining.
    • Price control, the involvement of women self-help groups and regular audits of sand reserves have also been recommended.
    • It also envisages the use of alternative sources such as M-Sand, imported sand and sand from Overburden of coal mines.
  • Judicial interventions:
    • There have been many instances of mining ban by the courts and governments. Courts have also placed limits on the quantities that can be legally mined.

WAY FORWARD:

Given our dependency on it, sand must be recognised as a strategic resource and its extraction and use needs to be rethought. The UNEP Report titled “Sand and Sustainability: 10 Strategic Recommendations to Avert a Crisis” offers guidance on how sand resources should be governed and managed in a responsible, sustainable, and just manner:

  • Other measures:
    • Adopt alternatives:
      • Crushed rock or recycled construction and demolition material, as well as ‘ore-sand’ from mine leftovers are among the viable alternatives to sand.
    • Revise existing processes:
      • The current construction practices can be altered to reduce the need of sand.
      • For example, sand used as an aggregate for road bases and cement-based construction can be replaced by aggregating the derivatives of the incineration of solid municipal waste.
    • Technological solutions:
      • Good progress has taken place in remote monitoring as well as surveillance in the field of mining. Technologies, like LIDAR and drones, need to be used to keep an effective check on sand mining activities.

NOTE:

Manufactured Sand (M-Sand) from overburden of coal mines have several benefits in terms of economy and environmental sustainability, including:

  • Economic benefits:
    • Cost-effectiveness: Using manufactured sand can be more cost-effective than using natural sand, as it can be produced in large quantities at a lower cost.
    • Land occupied by OB dumps can be freed for alternative useful purposes
    • Commercial sale of produced sand can generate additional revenue for coal companies.
  • Environmental benefits:
    • Using the overburden from coal mines can help to repurpose materials that would otherwise be considered waste.
    • Lesser sand extraction from rivers will reduce erosion of channel bed & banks, protect water habitat and help maintain the water table.
  • Other advantages:
    • Reduced water consumption: Using manufactured sand can help to reduce the amount of water required for construction projects, as it does not require washing before use.
    • Better workability: Manufactured sand is more angular and has a rougher surface, which makes it more workable for construction projects.
    • Consistency: Manufactured sand can have a consistent grain size and shape, which can be beneficial for construction projects that require a specific type of sand.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Satisfying the growing demand for sand without transgressing ecosystem’s capacity represents an important and insufficiently recognised sustainability frontier. Discuss.