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INDIA 2020

Is Sand Mining Killing Our Rivers?

Extracting River Bed Materials In East Zone Rivers

Siddharth Agarwal

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Major Rivers of the East Zone­

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Special Features of the East Zone Rivers• Richest zone in terms of the annual water and sediments volume in the rivers.• Himalayan rivers energy-limited in lower reaches, non-Himalayan rivers relatively

supply-limited.• Rich river dependent floral & faunal biodiversity.• Sone river sands preferred for structural

purposes.• Farakka & other barrages limit sediments supply

to the Ganga delta; SM-DR impact though less,adds to the problem.

• Deltas need more sediments, mitigate cyclonesimpact and to reduce saline intrusions.

• Dredging in the Hooghly-Ganga river, Haldia toAllahabad for NW1 major threat to India’sNational Aquatic Animal, Gangetic RiverDolphin. Subhasis Dey

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Geomorphological & Hydrological Impacts• High sediments deposition in Himalayan river beds.• Sediments mining can change river courses. Ganga has shifted 5-6 km away from Patna.

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• Banks & embankments erosion in most states; leading to loss of land and flooding.• Stability of buildings, bridges, embankment & dykes threatened by illegal SM in Assam

(B’putra), Bihar (Karmanasa), Kolkata (Hooghly) & Odisha (Subarnarekha).• Lowering of ground water levels, lowering of Kulsi river bed, drying of irrigation canals in

Jharkhand.

UB PhotosPatna Dibrugarh

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Ecological Impacts-I

• SM-DR can release heavy metal ions, otherwise locked in the sediments, into the wateralong with pathogens. Pollution in Thoubal river (Manipur) has caused protests.

• Aquatic biota, micro-benthic organisms to dolphins, heavily impacted by NW 1dredging.

Subhasis Dey

Platanista gangeticagangetica – Brahmaputra, Kulsi, Barak & Ganga

Hilsa - Hooghly

CIFRI

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Ecological Impacts-II• Birds and reptiles that nest or bask on sand bars and islands are affected in various rivers.• One village has taken interest in saving otters in Sikkim.

Aditya JoshiTarun Nair

Skimmer & Tern- MahanadiGharial- Sone, Gandak & Mahanadi

Sushant Dey

Gangetic softshell turtle - Mahanadi & Gandak

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Social Impacts

• Reports of many children drowning accidently at illegal mine sites while playing on thebanks of rivers in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam…….

• Violence by illegal miners ‘sand mafia’ against activists, communities, media persons &officials. EZ Report has many examples.

• Loss of livelihoods of farmers and fishers in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam,Odisha…….

Pratap Patra, a reporter of leading Odia daily Samaj was allegedly attacked by the sand mafia in Balasore.

HT Photo

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Laws & Governance• Illegal mining is rampant across all the East Zone states, except Nagaland (supplies from Karbi Anglong).• Local communities have challenged illegal mining at the sites, before Govt. officials and in the courts.

Media reports regularly about illegal mining and its consequences.• Governments plunder NRs despite guidelines, regulations, court orders to generate revenues.• Corruption allegations against officials, politicians & political parties made with little effect. Some

officers & ministers have taken courageous action.• Manipur state HC passed interim order banning all

unauthorized mining & quarrying in state rivers afterTRCC petition. Quarry workers & transportersprotested, organised bandhs. State issued temporarypermits to some private firms. Two years later thesituation is unchanged.

• Important cases filed in the NGT against illegalmining in the Sone (Bihar) & Subarnarekha (Bengal-Odisha border).

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Way Forward• Fundamental Principle: Extract only the annual replenished amount.• Reduce demand for sand: Alternate sources (m-sand, imports), materials (less

cement-concrete), technologies (architecture, building design)• Research needed to identify safe extraction sites. Identify strictly no-go areas (PAs

like Sundarbans, Ramsar sites, WLS, etc.)• Replenishment studies to quantify safe extractable volume every year at the sites• Devise methods for extraction/release of sediments held behind dams/barrages• Identify extraction procedures and technologies for the authorized sites.• Improve existing guidelines for more effective compliance and enforcement; need to

be river-focussed (size, morphology, etc.)• Better law enforcement.• Creation of political commitment for sustainable extraction.• Limits to growth; Gandhiji’s caution.