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Confusion over sand-mining norms in Kerala sparks concern

A notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change prescribing regulations on river sand mining is feared to result in a mismatch with the Kerala State legislation on the issue.

What does the central notification mandates?

  • District Environment Impact Assessment Authority empowered to issue environmental clearance for sand mining below five hectares.

  • It prescribes guidelines for the preparation of a district survey report to identify river sand resources, protection of the riverine ecology and steps to check illegal mining.

  • It mandates to establish District expert appraisal committee to screen projects .

  • Must have no representatives of local bodies.

  • Submission of district survey report every 5 years once.

  • Use of technology aided system for monitoring illegal mining.

What does the Kerala Protection of River Banks and Regulation of Removal of Sand Act, 2001 mandates?

  • District-level expert committees chaired by the respective District Collectors have been constituted to check illegal mining.

  • The State government had imposed a total ban on sand mining from six rivers and imposed restrictions on mining from five rivers for a three-year period.

  • It has local representatives .

  • Submission of the sand audit report for every 5 years.

  • River management fund for management of river bank.

  • Penalty of up to two years imprisonment with fine .

  • Extraction of ordinary sand, removal of sand deposits from farms and silt from dams and reservoirs are  the activities that have been exempted.

Experts and environmental activists fear:

  • This confusion  would create a situation for illegal mining to flourish in the State.

  • It is neither necessary nor desirable to have a district expert committee set up under the State Act and a District EIA Authority mandated by the Central notification, both chaired by the District Collector. It will only lead to confusion and conflict.

  • Exemptions cited in the notification would be manipulated to bypass the requirement of environment clearance for river sand mining.

Hot spots for Sand-mining in India:

Impacts of sand mining:

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