What is sand mining?
Sand mining is the extraction of naturally formed sand from river banks, riverbeds, wetlands, or coasts. Sand is a silicate mineral and is of high value in construction, which is the primary driver of sand mining. It is sometimes called a ‘minor’ mineral in terms of value, but its use is widespread, and it is the second-most used resource on Earth, after water. Experts have sounded an alarm over the looming tragedy of the sand commons.
Sand mining in the habitat of the critically endangered red-crowned roofed turtle, Chambal, India. Photo: Dr. Anish Andheria.
What makes sand mining legal or illegal?
Sand mining can be termed as legal or illegal depending on whether a particular mining operation is being run with or without government permissions. Legal sand mining often stipulates extraction limits, rules, and guidelines. With adherence to guidelines and effective monitoring, the impacts of legal sand mining could be less than those of unregulated, illegal sand mining.
What is the extent and impact of sand mining in the rivers of the Gangetic plains?
Almost every river in the Gangetic plains endures some degree of sand mining. In the peninsular-origin rivers of the Gangetic plains such as Chambal, Son, Betwa and Ken, the extraction rates far exceed the replenishment rates; and the scale, manner and rate of sand mining directly threatens ecosystems, societies, and the economy. In the Himalayan-origin rivers, the extent of sand mining is relatively lesser, since that sand is less desired in construction.
Sand mining threatens the survival and persistence of endangered riverine species like the gharial crocodile, freshwater turtles, otters, river dolphins, and waterbirds, as it destroys their nesting and breeding habitats. The gharial may have lost significant portions of its nesting habitat to sand mining in the Chambal and Son, despite both rivers being ‘protected’ as gharial sanctuaries. The extent of sand mining carried out by criminal elements in the Chambal is so large that some stretches of the National Chambal Sanctuary have been de-notified recently in an attempt to curb illegal mining. This can severely affect the fauna of the Chambal, which is probably the only river with a fully intact species assemblage of all Gangetic plains taxa.
The negative impacts of sand mining are not just ecological. Illegal sand mining is a direct loss of revenue for the state, and so is a corruption problem as well. There are other social evils like bonded labour that are an integral part of illegal sand mining and its associated supply chains.
How can the impact of sand mining be reduced?
As sand is abundant, the sector is unorganised and monitoring is poor. Legal sand mining with better monitoring and regulation can help contain the threat of illegal mining to some extent, but that’s not all.
Safeguarding ecology will require determining what levels of extraction are permissible without damaging ecology and wildlife, and in which rivers. In rivers where extraction has already crossed ecological thresholds, further mining needs to be banned. In rivers where it is allowable, rules and guidelines must be strictly enforced and monitored. But this too would not be sustainable in the long run. What we need is a thorough relook at the process itself, and to explore alternatives, but without transferring the problem to other vulnerable ecosystems.
How is WCT assessing the impact of sand mining on threatened species?
As part of its Riverine Ecosystems and Livelihoods (REAL) and Makara programmes, WCT conducts extensive river surveys across the Gangetic plains, which also include identifying areas with sand mining. WCT is also using remote-sensing and GIS applications to track areas with sand mining, to assess its impacts on threatened species.
India Sand Watch, developed by Veditum and Ooloi Labs (with other partners and supporters) is an open-data project that is enabling collection, annotation and archiving of data related to sand mining in India. It will be a useful resource to a wide range of stakeholders, including policy makers.
As a knowledge partner, WCT will be sharing data and contributing research insights and reports about the ecological and environmental impacts of sand mining on river ecosystems, on the India Sand Watch platform.
Disclaimer: The authors are associated with Wildlife Conservation Trust. The views and opinions expressed in the article are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Wildlife Conservation Trust.
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Related Links
- Plastic Runs Deep
- Riverine Ecosystems and Livelihoods Programme
- Programme Makara
- Gharials: Living on the Riverine Edge
- The Curious Case of India’s Wildlife Corridors
- [Expert Speak] Decoding the Hunting Strategy of a Cat That Fishes
- The State Of India’s Riverine Ecosystems