SAND MINING & ITS IMPACTS

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What is sand mining? 

Extraction or removal of sands from river bed ,beache, mangroves areas and coastal areas for use is called sand mining.

Sand mining site

Issues: Unsustainable,  irresponsible, illegal sand mining 

Causes of sand mining?

  1. Sand is a critical ingredient in our lives. It is the primary raw material to build our cities.
  2. It is used in fiber optic cable, glue, cosmetic glass, cilicon chips and computers - along with other electronics equipment.
  3. With such high demand, the world is facing a shortage of sand and population growth further increasing challenges.
  4. Desert sand is available plenty but not siutef for construction use because it is wind smoothed and therefore, non- adherent.
  5. Unnecessary construction.
  6. No best alternative available. 
  7. Global demand of sand and gravel standing at 40 to 50 billion tonnes per years. 
  8. Increasing urbanisation, infrastructure development have increased demands of sand  3-folds over the last 2 decades with a 5.5% per year increase of construction works.

 Note- 

  1. sand extraction is the second most exploiting resource after water in the world and India and China have largest demand as their construction activities are higher due to population. 


What are impacts of sand mining?

Impact: Irresponsible , legal & illegal sand mining by sand mafias are affected badly as are follows:

  • Sand mining, on-site impacts on habitats of marine and freshwater fisheries and birdlife and threatened species like turtles, freshwater dolphin, crabs.
  • Biodiversity loss and habitat loss.
  • Leading subsidence and landslide.
  • Worker's death while working or children's death by falling In ditches or coming under vehicle tyre.
  • Changes river courses.
  • Damaged natural flows of river by disturbing regime state of river.
  • Affected river beds. 
  • Destroyed natural habitats of organisms affected fish breeding and compelling to migration. 
  • Increases saline water in the river. 
  • It has led to pollution and changes in PH level.
  • Instability of river banks.
  • Lead to increased flood frequency and intensity.
  • Lower of water equifer.
  • Exacerbated drought occurrence and severity.
  • Damming and extraction have reduces sediments delivery from rivers to many coastal areas, leading to reduced deposits in river deltas and Exacerbated beach erosion.
  • Tourism is affected by loss of key species and beach erosion.
  • Agricultural land has been affected by river erosion in some areas.
  • Lowering the water table.
  • A decrease in bed load or channel shortening can cause down stream erosion and undercutting or undermining of engineering structure such as bridge, side protect wall and structure of water supply. 
  • Livelihoods of coastal people specifically women depending on on crabs collection for revenue. 
  • Most large rivers worldwide have lost anywhere between half to 95%of there natural sand and gravel delivery to oceans. 
What should we do?

To meet the  future demand of 10 billion people without harming the environment we need:
  • Effective policy 
  • Planning, monitoring, transparency and accountability. 
  • Awareness programme by government, civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women organizations.
  • Regulation and management law
  • Investment in sand production 
  • Curbing illegal and irresponsible sand mining 
  • Police and bureaucratic move against sand mafias. 
  • Keeping dialogue between key stakeholders and players.
  • Positive political interventions.


Topics- (GS - 3 paper) Unsustainable development, environmental issues, livelihood, natural resource management, flooding, biodiversity loss, 

Reference 

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/rising-demand-sand-calls-resource-governance

With rampant and illegal sand mining, the Yamuna can’t be rejuvenated ...
https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/with-rampant-and-illegal-sand-mining-the-yamuna...

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/sand-a-global-sustainability-challenge-un-report/article27062128.ece


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