The Court also directed the States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and UP to install CCTV cameras on all routes and GPS devices on all vehicles and machinery used in mining activities.
Factors contributing to illegal sand mining in India
- Booming Construction Sector: Sand is the second most consumed resource after water due to rapid urbanization.
- Preference for River Sand: over modern alternatives (M-sand) because of its grain size and texture considered ideal for binding concrete.
- Regulation Issues: Sand is a minor mineral under Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, coming under the administrative domain of State Governments with lack of uniform national regulation.
- Other: Monitoring challenges at remote areas; politico-criminal nexus involving highly organized “sand mafia”, etc.
Impact of rampant sand mining in India
- Environmental:
- River Morphology: Excessive mining alters the natural course of rivers leading to bank collapse, scouring and river erosion.
- Water Quality Deterioration: E.g. mobilizes chemical pollutants such as heavy metals and phosphates.
- Biodiversity and Habitat Loss: E.g. Disrupts fish breeding and migration.
- Reduced flood regulation capacity of the rivers; more vulnerability to storms, cyclones and tsunamis in coastal areas.
- Damage to Public Infrastructure: Bed degradation destabilizes critical engineering structures such as bridges, pipelines, side protection walls etc.
- Loss to State Exchequer: Illegal mining leads to loss of royalty payments, taxes and environmental fees.
National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary
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