Coastal sand mining, whether sanctioned by law or carried out illicitly, emerges as a formidable menace to our environment, particularly along the Indian coastline. The repercussions of this activity extend far beyond the extraction process, manifesting in severe environmental degradation, ecosystem disruption, and heightened vulnerability to natural disasters. Legal sand mining, intended for construction and infrastructure development, often spirals out of control due to inadequate regulatory measures. Illicit operations exacerbate these issues by circumventing regulations altogether. The impact is glaring along India’s coasts, with regions like Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra witnessing alarming consequences. Excessive sand removal disrupts the delicate balance of coastal ecosystems, leading to erosion, loss of biodiversity, and compromised resilience to cyclones and tsunamis. Notable instances, such as the exploitation of the Chavara coast in Kerala, underscore the urgent need for stringent regulations and sustainable practices to mitigate the profound ecological toll of coastal sand mining in India.
Tag: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment,
Decoding the Question:
- In the Introduction, try to write about sand mining.
- In the Body, discuss the impacts of legal and illegal sand mining environment with examples.
- Try to conclude with a solution to manage sand mining.
Answer:
Sand mining is the extraction of sand usually from an open pit. It can also be mined from dunes, and beaches and even dredged from river and ocean beds. Sand mining is the world’s largest mining endeavor, responsible for 85 percent of all mineral extraction. It is also the least regulated, and quite possibly the most corrupt and environmentally destructive. Sand consumption globally has been increasing and according to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), India is on the list of critical hotspots for coastal sand mining.
Environmental Impact of Coastal Sand Mining:
Sand is created by slow geological processes, and its distribution is uneven. The extraction from rivers and seashores is a severe concern due to the environmental and social impacts.
- Coastal erosion: Once the mining starts, it leads to more mining if unregulated. But certainly, a mined area is more prone to erosion under wave actions. This affects the coastal ecosystem equilibrium.
- Ecological Disturbance: Sand extraction often results in river and coastal erosion threats to freshwater and marine fisheries and aquatic ecosystems and lowering of groundwater levels.
- Impacts on Marine Biodiversity: Marine sand mining has had an impact on seabed flora and fauna.
- Dredging and extraction of aggregates from the benthic (sea bottom) zone destroy organisms, habitats, and ecosystems leading to a net decline in faunal biomass and a shift in species composition.
- Impact of Inland Biodiversity: Removing sediment from rivers at their coastal deltaic parts causes disturbance in species in the deltaic marshy region.
- Impact on Climate: The transport of large quantities of aggregates, sometimes over long distances, has a direct impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
- Economic Cost of Ecological Damage: Sand extraction causes an impact on other economic benefits such as tourism may get affected by beach erosion, while marine fishing both traditional and commercial fishing can be negatively impacted.
- Threat of Flood: Sand acts as a barrier against storm surges, cyclonic water creates flood-like situations in coastal areas if we wipe out sand from our coastal areas.
Examples of Impacts of Indian Coastal Sand Mining:
- In Periyasamypuram in the Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu, fish catch has come down, the palm trees have dried up, groundwater has turned brackish and the sea has entered the village due to coastal sand mining.
- Seawater intrusion, inundation of coastal land, and salinization of groundwater have been observed along the coast of Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Ernakulam due to sand mining.
- Turtles such as the Olive Ridley sea turtle arrive at beaches to dig nests in the sand and lay their eggs. After laying their eggs, the turtles cover them with sand to protect the nests from predators. When the hatchlings emerge, they move across the beach and enter the sea. However, when sand mining occurs in turtle nesting habitats, it leads to the loss of nesting sites.
- In Karnataka, rampant sand mining is leading to coastal erosion. The government is now forced to spend crores of rupees to form a barrier against coastal erosion.
Way forward:
- Better spatial planning is needed to control illegal and legal sand mining. This can be done by mapping the zones for sand mining in regulated quantities. Strictly adhering to coastal regulation zones and creating buffers and no mining zone along coastal areas.
- Using recycled sand material, promoting green infrastructure, use of alternative materials such as oil palm shells.
- Involving local people in protecting coastal sand.
Better spatial planning and reducing unnecessary construction, using green infrastructure, adopting recycled and alternative substitute materials such as oil palm shell, bottom ash, strictly adhering to Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), etc. can help in reducing coastal sand mining. Coastal sand is one of the very important defense shields against many sea-borne dangers. It has ecological and socio-economic relevance. Preventing it means India is promoting the Blue Economy as well. To achieve these, there is a need for a National Coastal Sand Mining Policy and empowering states to take strict penal actions.
In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.
For UPSC Prelims Resources, Click here
For Daily Updates and Study Material:
Join our Telegram Channel – Edukemy for IAS
- 1. Learn through Videos – here
- 2. Be Exam Ready by Practicing Daily MCQs – here
- 3. Daily Newsletter – Get all your Current Affairs Covered – here
- 4. Mains Answer Writing Practice – here
