Illegal sand transportation to Kerala continues unabated

About 15 trucks cross border everyday; sand sold at `60,000 per load’

Though sand transportation from Karnataka to neighbouring states was banned in 2010, rampant sand transportation to Kerala is going on with the connivance of authorities concerned. The modus operandi is that under the guise of silica sand, river sand is being transported in large scale. 

The silica sand is a type of sand which is exempted from the ban under the provision of mineral based industries, as it is the procurement material for manufacturing glass and tiles. Misusing the pass to transport silica sand, sources said that minimum 15 lorries with river sand are daily crossing Talapady border. The sand was said to have mainly transported to southern districts of Kerala, selling it for an exorbitant rate of Rs 60,000 per load. 

Modus operandi

The pass issued by the department of mines and geology, Karnataka government is from Udupi as under Mangalore limits there is no lessee for silica sand. 

This Karnataka pass, obtained through unscrupulous methods with the help of authorities has been used in two ways. One, river sand from Nethravathi is being transported to Kerala, by showing silica sand passes in Talapady, Manjeshwar and Cheruvathur check posts. 

As officials at check posts never check the goods in the lorries, the sand mafia has an easy go. Secondly, sand from the rivers of Kerala, from Manjeswara, Paivalike, Mangalpady, Vorkady, Meencha will be transported towards the southern districts showing Karnataka silica sand passes in Cheruvathur check post. 

Rarely if any official goes on to search the lorry, they can only see silica sand on the surface. For, it is a trick to put silica sand on the top of river sand to cheat officials. Often metal powder mixed with silica sand will be powdered on the surface in two inch thickness to hoodwink officials. 

Officials hand in glove with mafia

It is alleged that officials are hand in glove with the sand mafia for the illegal transportation of sand. 

It is said that the silica sand passes issued by Udupi mines and geology department is easily available by paying Rs 3,000 for each pass. One pass is used for one load. 
At check posts also, officials turn a blind eye towards this, it is alleged. A few days ago, locals at Kumbala in Kerala nabbed a mini lorry carrying river sand under the guise of silica sand and handed over to the police. 

But the vehicle along with the sand was allowed to go without any investigation. If in case media follows the issue, police will send the sand for forensic examination to verify the type of sand and the result will ‘never come up,’ it is also alleged. 

Deputy Director of Mines and Geology (Mangalore) Harish H P said that some might be misusing silica passes as the department in Udupi has not made it mandatory to carry sand only in GPS fitted vehicles. “In Mangalore, it is mandatory that sand carrying vehicles should have GPS system. Then we can find as to where does the vehicle is heading to. Also, if the sand is transported towards bordering villages, the letter of Gram Panchayat concerned should also be produced,” he added. 

Though sand transportation from Karnataka to neighbouring states has been banned in 2010, an interim exemption was allowed to Lakshwadeep from last January.
Source: Deccan Herald

Lorry strike to paralyse infrastructure, building activity in Bangalore

 Construction activity in Bangalore and across the state is expected to come to a grinding halt from Wednesday with the sand lorry owners’ associations calling for an indefinite strike.

The strike is set to paralyse the construction and infrastructure-building activities as the sand price is expected to go up by Rs5,000 to Rs6,000 per truck load. “As of now, we are paying Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 per truck load of sand,” said Venkatesh Babu, a contractor from KR Puram.

“Some people would have the obligation of completing the construction work. Non-availability of sand or demand for sand will force them to spend more money to get sand for construction work.”

At least 6,000 sand transporting lorries will be going off the roads from Wednesday. B Channa Reddy, president, Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners’ Association (FKLOA), said sand transporting truck owners were unhappy with the policies set by the state government, besides the “harassment” they were subjected to by the authorities.
If the truckers’ strike extends to a few days, the sand price is set to bound northward, increasing the construction cost considerably since sand is an important element in construction of building or infrastructure project.

According to R Nagaraj Reddy, president, Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India – Karnataka, the truckers’ strike will have an adverse impact on the construction industry.

“More than a million people are expected to lose their livelihood due to the truckers’ strike. It will be difficult to continue construction work without sand,” said Reddy.

It will have a cascading effect on prospective house-owners from middle-class families who borrowed money from banks for constructing their dream homes. Lakhs of people depending on sand supplies and construction activities are expected to lose their livelihood.

The daily loss, due to the strike, is expected to be about Rs 50 crore (including fee for issuing permits to transport sand and cess on diesel) and the construction projects worth Rs500 crore are expected to be affected in Bangalore alone.

3,000 trucks a day for Bangalore GR Shanmugappa, president, Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents Association, said that in Bangalore alone, the demand is for around 3,000 truck loads of sand.

“The gap between demand and supply has to be filled up by private sand suppliers who mine sand, which is declared illegal. And the police and other officials demand thousands in bribe amounts from sand transporting trucks,” he said.

Prior to the new sand policy, sand was supplied by contractors appointed by mines and geology department, which used to identify sand beds in the state and call for tenders from the public to collect sand and sell it.

According to the norms of mines and geology department, they used to finalise tenders and authorise contractors to collect royalty. But when this supply source falls short of the demand for sand, private parties begin collecting sand and selling it to the truck owners. The government used to collect some royalty from the truck owners for this private supply of sand.

The state government then directly collected sand by bringing in a new sand policy (dated July 2, 2011) and prohibited all private sand-mining activities.

Source: DNAINDIA

Alien plants, bugs may lurk inside imported Cambodia sand.

Cambodia Sand piled up at Cochin Port

Acute shortage of river sand for construction prompted an entrepreneur to import around 32,000 tonnes of sand from Cambodia.

Foreign plants and animals could sneak into Kerala if imported sand is released without proper quarantine measures, fear experts.
It is believed that the acute shortage of river sand for construction has prompted an entrepreneur to import around 32,000 tonnes of sand from Cambodia. However, the consignment has been held up at the Cochin Port for want of quarantine certificate.
Invasive species experts are not amused with the import as they apprehend that the sand would bring along with it foreign plants and animals.
Incidentally, the Kerala State Biodiversity Board has convened a meeting at Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday to take stock of the threats posed by invasive species. Experts will also validate a list of invasive flora and fauna present in the State at the meeting.
Builders, according to John Thomas, president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association India Kerala chapter, had mostly shifted to manufactured sand. It was the individuals building their houses who were buying river sand for construction, he said.
Imported sand, if released without quarantine measures, can wreck ecological damage as they could contain seeds and eggs of alien plant and animals. Seeds of some plants like Acacia can remain dormant for even centuries together only to sprout back to life in favourable conditions, said T.V. Sajeev, coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive Species Network.
The network with 33 member nations was established in “response to the immense costs and dangers posed by invasive species to the sustainable management of forests in the Asia-Pacific region.” It focuses “on inter-country cooperation that helps to detect, prevent, monitor, eradicate and/or control forest invasive species in the Asia-Pacific region.”
It was the acute shortage of river sand used for construction in the State that had prompted the business groups to import sand.
Dr. Sajeev pointed out that the invaders from a country can easily establish in other countries located in the same latitude and with identical climatic conditions. Cambodia and South India share similar climatic conditions and hence there is the high risk of new weeds and pests from there taking root in the country. If the untreated soil is allowed to be distributed, it would get easily mixed with soil and may provide the escape route for the invaders, said Dr. Sajeev.
Earlier studies had established that a large number of weeds from Latin American countries had elbowed out many native species of Kerala. It was the identical climatic conditions in these regions that helped these plants to flourish quickly, causing huge ecological losses, he said.
K.V. Sankaran, former director of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, said the sand could even contain microbes harmful for human beings. Imported sand should not be allowed to be distributed without adopting quarantine measures, Dr. Sankaran suggested.
Studies had earlier established Kochi as the hub of the invader species in the State. The species reached Kochi along with various import consignments and got distributed to other places along the transport routes.
Dr. Sajeev also suggested culturing of sand samples to find out whether they were harbouring any plant and animal species alien to the land.

Source: The Hindu

 

Sand mining workers strike hit construction – Kozhikode, Kerala.

The indefinite strike called by the coordination committee of sand mining workers in the district has hit construction activities in the district. The distribution of sand through Nirman Online Sand Distribution System launched by the district administration has also been affected by the strike which entered its third day on Saturday.
Around three thousand workers engaged in legal mining of sand began striking on May 2 demanding that the wage hike recommended by the wage revision subcommittee be implemented. The subcommittee was constituted to look into revising the wages of the workers and to increase the rent of tools used to mine sand. The collector’s decision to hike the pay by Rs 50 for mining one tonne sand and increase the tool rent by Rs 3 had upset the workers who were expecting a larger hike. This resulted in the employees launching the indefinite strike.
The subcommittee constituted by district collector K V Mohankunmar on December 28, 2012 had been entrusted to study the feasibility for wage revision. The committee headed by ADM K P Ramadevi which submitted its report on February 6, 2013 had recommended an increase of Rs 75 to mine one tonne sand and a 10% hike to rent mining equipment.
On April 4, the collector announced an increase of Rs 50 for mining and Rs 3 hike for tools. This was done to reduce additional burden on the customer. Upset by the revised rates, workers under the coordination committee launched the agitation. At present workers charge Rs 1,026 for mining three tonnes of sand and Rs 57 to rent out equipment.
“The on-going strike will have a serious impact on construction activities in panchayats, as the people there mainly depend on sand distributed by the district administration to carry out construction work. Following unavailability of river sand, we have started using M-sand to carry out construction activities in corporation areas,” said I K Nikil Kumar, president of Government Contractors Federation, Kozhikode corporation unit.
Chairman of coordination committee of sand mining workers, U Pocker said the committee will continue the indefinite strike till the collector implements the recommendations of the subcommittee. “We know the construction sector has been hit. We demanded the hike ten months ago considering the exorbitant prices of essential commodities,” he said.
Meanwhile, collector-in-charge K P Ramadevi, said a meeting will be convened on May 7 with representatives of various trade unions of sand mining workers at the collectorate to find an amicable solution to the crisis.

Source: Times of India

Expert Panel calls for ban on mining in Ecologically Sensitive Area of Western Ghats

A view of the Western Ghats in Munnar, Kerala.

A High-Level Working Group (HLWG) has called for a complete ban on mining, quarrying and sandmining in about 60,000 sq km of natural landscape of the Western Ghats (WG) that it has identified as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
This area is approximately 37 per cent of the total geographical area of the Western Ghats region and represents more or less a contiguous band of vegetation extending over a distance of 1500 km across six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu — and includes protected areas and World Heritage Sites.
“There should be a complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining in ESA. All current mining areas should be phased out within the next 5 years, or at the time of expiry of mining lease, whichever is earlier,” the 10-member HLWG, headed by Planning Commission Member K Kasturirangan, said in its report submitted to Minister for Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan.
The report said no thermal power projects should be allowed in ESA. Hydropower projects may be allowed but subject to following conditions:
(a) Uninterrupted ecological flow at atleast 30 per cent level of the rivers flow in lean season till a comprehensive study establishes individual baselines.
(b) After a cumulative study which assesses the impact of each project on the flow pattern of the rivers and forest and biodiversity loss.
(c) Ensuring that the minimum distance between projects is maintained at 3 km and that not more than 50 per cent of the river basin is affected at any time.
The HLWG recommended that wind energy should be included in EIA notification and brought under purview of assessment and clearance.
It said all ‘Red’ category industries should be strictly banned. As the list of industries categorized as ‘orange’ includes many activities like food and fruit processing, there will not be a complete prohibition on this category. But all efforts should be made to promote industries with low environmental impacts, it said.
Building and construction projects of 20,000 m2 and above should not be allowed. Townships and area development projects should be prohibited, it said.
“All other infrastructure and development projects/schemes should be subject to environment clearance under Category ‘A’ projects under EIA Notification 2006,” itsaid.
Additional safeguard for forest diversion in ESA should be introduced. In cases of forest clearance required in ESA, all information of the project, from application stage to approval should be placed in the public domain on the website of the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) and of the forest department of the respective States, it said.
All development projects, located within 10 km of the Western Ghats ESA and requiring Environment Clearance (EC), shall be regulated as per the provisions of the EIA Notification 2006.
The HLWG recommended a framework for governance and regulation of ESA, which draws on current regulatory institutions for decision-making, but simultaneously, strengthens the data monitoring systems and the participation and involvement of local communities in decision-making.
“Existing regulatory institutions and processes for environment and forest clearances and project monitoring would need to be greatly strengthened for the governance framework to be enforced and monitored effectively,” it said.
The report highlighted the fact that the eco-system of the Western Ghats is in urgent need of attention and action.
“Out of the estimated 1,64,280 km2 of the Western-Ghats area, the natural landscape constitutes only 41 per cent. The area identified as ecologically sensitive is about 37 per cent i.e., about 90 % of the natural landscape. It is against this backdrop of a fast dwindling unique ecosystem, that we make these recommendations.
“Needless to emphasize, there is a great sense of urgency, in the implementation of the tasks arising out of these recommendations, even though, we fully recognize the sincere commitment that each of the six States has displayed in the context of protecting the rich bio-diversity of this mountain range. In making some of the general and sectoral recommendations, we are also aware that many of these are already inbuilt into the present strategies of the respective States. In repeating such recommendations, we are only underscoring the imperatives of implementing such recommendations in letter and spirit,” it said.
The delimited area of 188 talukas in six States of Western Ghats has been designated as Western Ghats Region which spreads over an area of 1,64,280 km2 between 8.0-22.26 degrees North and 72.55-78.11 degrees East and extends over a distance of 1500km from Tapti river at the north to Kanyakumari at the south, with altitudinal range (ellipsoid) from 0 to 2674 m above sea level and width ranging from 10km (at narrowest point) to 200km (at widest point).
To facilitate sustainable development in the WG region, which is inhabited by about 50 million people, the non-ESA comprising mostly cultural landscape is also demarcated.
The HLWG recommended that the Central government should immediately notify the ESA area. It said the MoEF should put the ESA map in the public domain, which will enable scrutiny and transparency in decisions.
The report said the villages falling under ESA will be involved in decision- making on the future projects. All projects will require prior informed consent and no-objection certificate from the Gram Sabha of the village. The provision for prior informed consent under the Forest Rights Act will also be strictly enforced.
“The State Governments should also ensure consultation with local communities while planning for protection of wildlife corridors. State Governments should immediately put in place structures for effective enforcement of development restrictions and ensuring sustainable development in ESA,” it said.
The HLWG recognized that the Western Ghats, even in those areas categorized as natural landscapes, is inhabited.

“It is not wilderness area, but the habitat of its people, who share the landscape with biological diversity. Conversely, the cultural landscape is also biologically rich and the economic growth of the entire region comes from its natural endowment of water, forests and biodiversity. For this reason, HLWG has recommended policies to incentivize environmentally sound growth across the Western Ghats.
The HLWG recommended that the Western Ghats States should come together to negotiate for a grant-in aid from the Centre. The financial arrangement should be of the nature of a debt for nature swap. This is a mechanism whereby part of the outstanding debt of a State is swapped for new constructive initiatives by it to protect its natural resources. A part of these payments be retained by the State Governments and a part be used to finance local conservation trust funds (as in several countries), which disburse grants to community projects for improving forest productivity and ensuring sustainable forest based livelihoods in ESAs.
In addition, the 14th Finance Commission should consider substantially increasing the fund allotted to States by the 13th Finance Commission for forest and environmental conservation, it said.
It said the Planning Commission should create a special Western Ghats Sustainable Development Fund to be used to promote programmes specifically designed to implement an effective ESA regime and incentivize green growth in the region.
The Working Group was constituted in August 2012 to advise the Government on the recommendations of an earlier report – that of the eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP).
The WGEEP had recommended that the entire Western Ghats should be declared as an ecologically sensitive area; had suggested three levels of categorization where regulatory measures for protection would be imposed and had recommended the establishment of the Western Ghats Ecology Authority for management.
“The message of this report is serious, alarming and urgent. It is imperative that we protect, manage and regenerate the lands now remaining in the Western Ghats as biologically rich, diverse, natural landscapes. We have reached a threshold from which we cannot slip further. This has to be the objective of future planning and regulation in this recognized centre of biodiversity in our country,” Dr. Kasturirangan said.

HC tells govt to allot mining leases for ‘riverbed sand’ under new rules

JAIPUR: In a bid to curb illegal mining in state, the Rajasthan high court has asked the state government to finalize the allotment of mining leases of bajri (riverbed sand) in state within a period of six months as per new rules and to adopt procedure for revenue collection under new rules only.

The order was passed while disposing a PIL filed by an NGO, Nature Club of Rajasthan. The order was passed by the high court in the light of a judgment rendered by Supreme Court in 2012.

The Supreme Court had asked the state government to frame separate rules for grant of mining leases for exploring bajri in state. The new rules were framed but not made effective and by a notification issued on June 21, 2012 the state government decided to continue with the old rules.

A division bench of high court headed by Justice N K Jain-I disposed of the petition directing department of environment to decide claims of lease applicants for environment clearance within a period of 3 months and further directed the state government to grant mining leases as per law within next three months.

The bench has directed that the royalty payable under old system can only be recovered for next six months and thereafter procedure under new rules of 2012 shall be adopted.
Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA

Sand transporters need aid, not mining truck drivers – UGDP

MARGAO: United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) vice-president Radharao Gracias criticized the move by the chief minister ManoharParrikar to give a financial package to mining truck drivers, who he said did not deserve the same for their part in illegal mining. He also said that instead, a financial package should be given to the truck owners who would transport sand.
Gracias, while pointing out that only in Goa do you find the rate of sand to be higher than that of cement, demanded that the government bring sand prices to a reasonable level. He pointed out that given the fact that sand mining had been banned in the state, and Karnataka government not permitting transport of sand, the truck drivers who were usually involved in transporting sand from Pernem to other places in Goa and Karwar and other areas were left unemployed.
He further ridiculed Parrikar’s decision to give out financial packages to mining truck owners and said that not only were they part of the illegal mining, but that they were involved in ‘big businesses’ which saw them earn more than enough income and thus they could not be in dire need of the financial package.
He said that the sand mining truck owners who lived in various villages in Goa have been rendered jobless and the government should address their genuine grievances.

Illegal sand mining in Kozhikode, Kerala

Now, no mining in forests, buffer zones

MUMBAI: Mining will not be allowed in areas declared as forests, wildlife sanctuaries and buffer zones.

These were among the new rules for mining of minor minerals that were approved by the state cabinet on Wednesday to make mining an ecologically sustainable industry.

Now, every district will have to prepare a district mining plan to be monitored by a committee headed by the collector. Mining will be allowed only during the day and to reduce noise, air and water pollution, only scientific excavation will be permitted.

The new rules are in consonance with the Supreme Court ruling of February 2012 to enforce the Minor Minerals Conservation and Development Rules 2010. Swadheen Kshatriya, additional chief secretary, revenue, said the rules will supercede all the previous ones approved in 1954 (Bombay Presidency), 1955 (Western Maharashtra) and 1966 (Vidarbha) and which were outdated.

Kshatriya said mining has been categorised into leases and permits. No lease will be granted without an environment clearance. For this a survey is to be done to ascertain the presence of minor minerals, such as stone, clay soil, gravel and sand.

A mining plan will need to be submitted detailing how scientific extraction using the benching technology will be done.

“Mines will no longer be allowed to be abandoned. It will be mandatory to restore the ecological balance,” Kshatriya said.

According to the new rules, the public works department and irrigation department can undertake quarrying on their land only for their projects. The royalty would have to be deposited with the government, and permits will be given for short periods and for a specific quantity only. For this purpose, the tehsildar’s powers to grant permission has been increased from 100 to 500 brass, sub-divisional officer from 1,000 to 2,000 brass. The collector’s powers remain unchanged at 10,000 brass and 25,000 brass for government projects only. One brass is equal to 100 sq ft.

To protect traditional sources of livelihood, the rules grant enabling powers to the kumbhar (potters) community, the wadars (masons who chisel stones) and haath-paatis (those who manually excavate sand for a living).

The rules will come into force once they are notified through the gazette, Kshatriya said.

The highlights

• No mining in forest areas, wildlife sanctuaries and buffer zones
• No mining lease to be signed without environment clearance
• Mining to be approved only after a closure plan that details restoration of the ecology
• PWD, irrigation department can undertake mining on their land for their projects
• Traditional rights of kumbhars, wadars and haath-paatis to be protected
• Permits only for short duration and specific quantities

Protest against granite quarries, sand-making unit at Kalanjur

Journalist B.R.P. Bhaskar inaugurates an indefinite relay satyagraha in front of the Kalanjur panchayat office seeking closure of granite quarries operating in the area, on Monday.

Indefinite relay satyagraha in front of panchayat office

A joint action council of environmental activists and people of Kalanjur panchayat, near Pathanapuram, in the district began an indefinite relay Satyagraha in front of the panchayat office on Monday demanding immediate closure of three granite quarries and a manufactured sand plant (sand making plant) operating there. The quarries are at Kalliparamala, Inchapara and Rakshasanpara, and the sand plant is at Pothupara.

Convener of the action council M.G. Santosh Kumar said that the agitation against the quarries and the plant was more than two years old.

He said that quarrying was being carried out in violation of a Supreme Court order. Inaugurating the Satyagraha, environmental activist B.R.P. Bhaskar said that any development activity carried out by destroying the environment would only prove to be self destructive. He called upon the Kalanjur panchayat authorities to be on the side of the people instead of turning a blind eye to the quarries that were causing serious environmental degradation in the area.

The agitation being launched was in the interests of the future generations, he said.

Environmental activists C.R. Neelakantan, Chengara agitation leader Laha Gopalan, Hindu Aikya Vedi State secretary Thekkadam Sudarsanan, Mathew Varghese, Sleeba Das, Scaria Thomas and Socialist Democratic Party of India leader Jyothish Perumbulikkal spoke.

The protesters took out a procession to the panchayat office from the Kudal Stadium junction.

The march was led by Rajan Puthenpurakkal, Dinesh Kulathuman and M.G. Santosh Kumar. The relay satyahgraha on Monday was led by Koshy Samuel, George Akkarakalayil and T.K. Damodaran..

Souce: The Hindu