Stop sand mining in Cauvery

Sand mining is a practice that is used to extract sand , mainly through an  open-pit.  As communities grow, construction requires more concrete, leading to a demand for low-cost sand. The construction activity in both government and private sectors has gone up by leaps and bounds and as a result the demand for sand has gone up enormously. It is a known fact that sand mining is done by politically controlled sand mafia. In the past there were two methods of sand mining, river-bed and in-stream. Controlled and well- regulated quarrying of sand was not objected to, but in the garb of development, there is nothing short of predatory quarrying of sand on the river-beds and in-stream. It has already begun to have an adverse impact and unless there is a check, we will enter a calamitous zone of environment degradation.  Therefore sand mining is becoming an environmental issue in India. Environmentalists have raised public awareness of illegal sand mining in India. As elsewhere, in Tamilnadu sand mining is done in an unscientific manner both in the legally permitted quarries and in illegal mines. Mining of river sand has been done     in a haphazard, irregular, erotic   and unscientific manner, causing environmental degradation. Sand quarrying has created pools of water stagnation in the river bed, impairing the water flow downstream, which  has  gravely affected on agricultural production and ground water levels. There has been strong voices against unbridled and unregulated exploitation of sand mines. Taking cognizance of the indiscriminate and unscientific quarrying in the river systems of Tamil Nadu in a public interest litigation, the Hon'ble High Court in their order dated 26.7.2002 had directed the State Government to constitute an Expert Committee consisting of geologist, environmentalist and scientists to study the river and river beds in the State with reference to the impact of sand quarrying.  The Committee after detailed study made certain recommendations to prevent unregulated sand quarrying.  In accordance with the directions of the Hon'ble High Court and the recommendations of the High Level Committee constituted in pursuance of the directions of the Hon'ble High Court, the Tamilnadu Government  has taken  certain initiatives in public interest to ensure:(a) elimination of indiscriminate and unscientific sand quarrying; (b) uninterrupted  availability and supply of sand in a regular and orderly manner to the common public;(c) availability of the sand at affordable prices to common public thereby effecting reduction in the cost of construction; and (d) augmentation of  the revenue of the State Government.  Despite the G.O. sand quarrying in Tamilnadu is going on illegally, sand smugglers are doing good business with the officials failing to check illegal sand mining. But these directions have not been carried out  due to the pressure exerted by the mining mafia with  political patronage and connivance of corrupt officials. The result is, “illicit and haphazard sand mining has led to deepening of the river beds, widening of the rivers, damage to civil structures, depletion of groundwater table, degradation of groundwater quality, sea water intrusion in coastal areas, damages to the river systems and reduction in biodiversity.”  It is gratifying to note that the Madurai bench of the Madras high court has directed the state government not to permit sand mining along the entire stretch of river Cauvery and Kollidam, in quarries that are functioning for more than five years. It is right time for the government to intervene strongly and regulate sand mining so as to save the rivers and other waterways from decay and ruin.