Sand Mining 12/06/2019 – Posted in: Blog – Tags: , , ,

SAND MINING

 

For: Preliminary & Mains

Topic covers: Understand Sand Mining, Why it is done, Negative Impact, Solutions, Related Law/ Act

 

News Flash

Andhra Pradesh State government imposed a ban on mining and transportation of sand for a fortnight. It announced that a new sand policy would be unveiled by July 1.

  • 20 to 25 per cent of  State government’s income comes from mining alone and steps are being taken to curb illegal mining and increase the revenue.
  • To make most of the lean period, mine owners and hoarders try to dig out as much sand as possible, through legal and illegal means, in the pre-monsoon months.

 

Sand Mining

Sand mining is the extraction of sand through an open pit but sometimes mined from inland dunes from oceans, riverbeds and beaches. It is defined under section 3(e) of Mines and Mineral development and regulation act,1957 (mmdr act).

This law has been implemented by the government to prevent illegal mining.

 

Illegal Sand Mining

Under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, mining of minor minerals is regulated by the states.

In 2012, hearing a public interest petition filed by Haryana-based advocate, the Supreme Court acknowledged the dangers of small-scale sand mining (spread over less than 5 hectares), which leads to extensive and unsustainable removal of sand from river banks.

Drawing from the order, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), issued Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines in March 2016.

Same year, in May, it amended the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2006 to make environmental impact clearance mandatory for small-scale sand mines.

The notification also called for treating cluster mines (those within 500 m of each other) as a single mine and provided for the creation of two bodies—a District-level Expert Appraisal Committee (DEAC) to assess the environmental impact of mines and a District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA), under the district collector, to prepare a District Survey Report for tabulating sand mining potential of the district and for granting clearances.

Though it has been more than a year since the amendment was made, and most states have constituted the district-level bodies, nobody cares about illegal mining of sand and the norms are openly flouted.

 

illegal sand mining

Illegal Sand Mining

 

Growing Demand

In a rapidly urbanising India, the demand of sand will only rise because sand is the main ingredient in making concrete and cement.

  • Shortage of sand could further spike illegal mining activities.
  • Though the construction sector has only witnessed a 1.7 per cent growth this year, government schemes, like Swachh Bharat Mission and Housing for All by 2022, are likely to cause a resurgence.

 

Impact of Sand Mining

Impacts of sand mining can be broadly classified into three categories:

  • Physical

The large-scale extraction of streambed materials, mining and dredging below the existing streambed leads to several impacts such as erosion of channel bed and banks, increase in channel slope, and change in channel morphology.

These impacts may cause:

(1) the undercutting and collapse of river banks,

(2) the loss of adjacent land and/or structures,

(3) upstream erosion as a result of an increase in channel slope and changes in flow velocity, and

(4) downstream erosion due to increased carrying capacity of the stream, downstream changes in patterns of deposition, and changes in channel bed and habitat type.

 

  • Water Quality

Mining and dredging activities, poorly planned stockpiling and uncontrolled dumping of overburden, and chemical/fuel spills will cause reduced water quality for downstream users, increased cost for downstream water treatment plants and poisoning of aquatic life.

 

  • Ecological

Mining which leads to the removal of channel substrate, resuspension of streambed sediment, clearance of vegetation, and stockpiling on the streambed, will have ecological impacts.

These impacts may have an effect on the direct loss of stream reserve habitat, disturbances of species attached to streambed deposits, reduced light penetration, reduced primary production, and reduced feeding opportunities.

 

Way ahead

State governments must find a way to enforce the new norms.

To maintain the ecology of a river, it is important to give compact leases, in small areas. This will ensure that the river hydrology does not change.

 

Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957

The Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act (1957) is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to regulate the mining sector in India. It was amended in 2015 and 2016. This act forms the basic framework of mining regulation in India.

 

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015

  • The Bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
  • The Bill adds a new Fourth Schedule to the Act.  It includes bauxite, iron ore, limestone and manganese ore and are defined as notified minerals.
  • The Bill creates a new category of mining license i.e. the prospecting license-cum-mining lease.
  • Under the Act, a person could acquire one mining lease for a maximum area of 10 sq km.  The Bill amends this provision to allow the central government to increase the area limits for mining, instead of providing additional leases.
  • Under the Act, a mining lease was granted for a maximum of 30 years and a minimum of 20 years and could be renewed for a period not exceeding 20 years.  Under the Bill, the lease period for coal and lignite remains unchanged.  For all minerals other than coal, lignite and atomic minerals, mining leases shall be granted for a period of 50 years.
  • The Bill provides for the creation of a District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and a National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET).

 

Source: The Hindu/ PRS India/ Down To Earth and other standard sources

 

 

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