Sand Mining Guidelines and Coastal Erosion Issues
Environment & Ecology › Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment · Topic 20.16
Sand is the most widely used natural resource after water, mainly for construction, and in India it is a minor mineral under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, which means that states make the rules, grant leases and collect royalty. Mining of sand from riverbeds, floodplains and coasts, often illegal, has caused serious damage: lowering of riverbeds, erosion of banks, damage to bridge foundations and embankments, falling groundwater tables, loss of habitat for fish, gharials and turtles, and mud and noise pollution. The Supreme Court in Deepak Kumar v. State of Haryana (2012) held that mining of minor minerals, even for areas of less than five hectares, requires environmental clearance, and the EIA Notification, 2006 was amended in 2016 to set up District Environment Impact Assessment Authorities and require a District Survey Report. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines in 2016 and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining in 2020, which call for replenishment studies, bans on mining during the monsoon and in fish breeding seasons, no night mining, use of drones and GPS-tracked vehicles, and mining plans. The Ministry of Mines issued a Sand Mining Framework in 2018. Coastal erosion is the loss of land to the sea. The National Centre for Coastal Research estimates that about a third of India's mainland coast has been eroding in recent decades, with Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal affected. Causes include sea level rise, storms, dams trapping sediment, sand mining and coastal structures. Hedge details: shares and rules change, so check the latest assessments.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment
At a Glance
- Legal status Minor mineral
- SC case Deepak Kumar, 2012
- Guidelines 2016 and 2020
- Erosion About a third of coast
- Alternative M-sand
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the air quality topic and links riverbed mining with coastal change, which connects to the Coastal Regulation Zone rules and to the later topics on glaciers and rivers. Previous topic: National Air Quality Index and Graded Response Action Plan for Air Pollution. Next topic: Permaculture vs Monoculture.
What Do the Sand Mining Guidelines Require?
| Instrument | Main points |
|---|---|
| MMDR Act, 1957 | Sand is a minor mineral; states frame rules, grant leases and levy royalty |
| Deepak Kumar, 2012 | Supreme Court: environmental clearance needed for minor mineral mining, including small areas |
| EIA amendment, 2016 | District Environment Impact Assessment Authority; District Survey Report required |
| Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines, 2016 | Replenishment studies, mining plans, ban in monsoon, limits on depth |
| Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines, 2020 | Night mining ban, drones, GPS on vehicles, transport tracking |
| Sand Mining Framework, 2018 | Ministry of Mines; promotes alternatives and tracking |
| NGT | Many orders on illegal sand mining and bans |
What Are the Impacts and Remedies?
- Riverbed: lowering and changes in the channel
- Banks and bridges: erosion and structural damage
- Groundwater: falls as the riverbed gets deeper
- Wildlife: loss of nesting banks for gharials and turtles
- Coast: less sediment reaches the sea, so beaches erode
- Remedies: replenishment limits, bans, monitoring and community vigilance
- Alternatives: manufactured sand, recycled construction waste, fly ash
- Illegal mining: organised sand mafia and violence in several states
What Else Should You Remember?
- Use of sand: concrete, mortar, glass and land reclamation
- Global demand: sand is the largest solid material extracted after water
- Replenishment: rivers add sand slowly, so mining must stay below that rate
- Depth limit: mining depth is capped, often at about three metres in guidelines
- Buffer: distance from bridges, banks and embankments
- No mining: during monsoon and fish breeding seasons
- Night mining: banned in the 2020 guidelines
- Drones: used to survey and track mining
- Transport: GPS tracking and e-permits
- Mining plan: required before the lease
- District Survey Report: identifies mining areas and replenishment
- Gram Sabha: a role in some states
- Sand mining in CRZ: restricted under coastal rules
- CRZ: Coastal Regulation Zone regulates activities on the shore
- Coastal erosion: loss of land at the shoreline
- NCCR: National Centre for Coastal Research, Chennai, assesses shoreline change
- Erosion share: about a third of the mainland coast eroding by assessments
- Hotspots: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal
- Sundarbans: Sagar island and others lose land
- Causes: sea level rise, cyclones, dams, harbours, sand mining and loss of mangroves
- Hard solutions: sea walls, groynes and breakwaters; these can shift erosion elsewhere
- Soft solutions: beach nourishment, mangroves, dunes and setbacks
- ICZM: Integrated Coastal Zone Management project with World Bank support
- Shoreline plans: Shoreline Management Plans guide where to protect and where to retreat
- Link to previous: see National Air Quality Index and Graded Response Action Plan for Air Pollution
- Link to next: see Permaculture vs Monoculture
- Link to CRZ: see Coastal Regulation Zone Notification
- Caution: assessments and rules are updated, so check NCCR and MoEFCC
- Exam hint: remember minor mineral status, 2016 and 2020 guidelines and the Deepak Kumar case
- Sediment budget: Rivers carry sand to the coast, so dams and mining upstream cut the supply that keeps beaches and deltas stable
- Sea level rise: Higher seas and stronger cyclones increase erosion on low coasts like the Sundarbans and Kerala
- Livelihoods: Fishing villages and coastal homes are displaced by erosion, requiring rehabilitation and planning
- Smuggling and violence: Illegal sand extraction has been linked with attacks on officials and activists, and courts have ordered stronger enforcement
- Construction demand: Cutting demand through efficient use of concrete, recycling and better design lowers pressure on rivers
- Role of local bodies: Panchayats and urban local bodies can help to watch river stretches and report illegal activity
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Status: Minor mineral
- Guidelines: 2016, 2020
- Case: Deepak Kumar, 2012
- Current affairs link: Illegal mining
- Common errors: saying the Centre grants sand leases
As an analytical point, cheap sand has hidden costs in damaged rivers and eroding coasts. Governance has to link demand reduction, alternatives, tracking and a basin-wide view of sediment.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Law Minor mineral
- Harm River and coast
- Fix Alternatives
What Came Next?
The next topic covers permaculture versus monoculture. Next topic: Permaculture vs Monoculture.
Key People and Terms
- Minor mineral State-regulated mineral
- DSR District Survey Report
- DEIAA District EIA Authority
- M-sand Manufactured sand
- NCCR National Centre for Coastal Research
- Groyne Shore structure
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Sand is a minor mineral.
- Deepak Kumar 2012.
- Guidelines 2016, 2020.
- About a third of coast erodes.
- Alternative: M-sand.
Do Not Confuse With
- Sand mining and coastal erosion Source of harm versus outcome
- Hard and soft protection Walls versus nature-based
- Minor and major mineral State versus Centre control
Memory Hook
Minor mineral, major harm: tracks and plans calm the arm.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for legal status, guidelines and impacts. These points help.
- Impacts River, coast
- Law Guidelines
- Fix Alternatives
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the impacts of illegal sand mining and the measures to regulate it. How is it related to coastal erosion?”
How to Answer
- Law Minor mineral.
- Impacts River.
- Guidelines 2016, 2020.
- Coast Erosion.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sand a major or minor mineral in India?
Sand is a minor mineral under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. State governments make rules, grant leases and collect royalty, though the Supreme Court and the EIA rules require environmental clearance and district-level surveys for mining, and central guidelines set common standards.
What do the 2020 sand mining guidelines say?
The Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020 call for district survey reports and mining plans, replenishment studies, bans on mining during the monsoon and at night, use of drones and GPS-tracked vehicles, and strict monitoring and penalties for illegal mining, building on the 2016 Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines.
What are the environmental effects of sand mining?
Sand mining lowers riverbeds, erodes banks, damages bridges and embankments, reduces groundwater recharge and destroys the habitat of species like gharials and turtles. It also reduces sediment reaching the coast, which, with other factors, contributes to coastal erosion.
How much of India's coast is eroding?
The National Centre for Coastal Research has estimated that about a third of India's mainland coastline has been undergoing erosion in recent decades, while others are stable or growing. States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are among the affected, and figures should be checked in the latest reports.
What are alternatives to river sand?
Alternatives include manufactured sand made by crushing rock, recycled aggregates from construction and demolition waste, fly ash and other materials. Policies to promote them, along with efficient use of concrete and better tracking of river sand, can reduce pressure on rivers and coasts.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Sand is a minor mineral under the MMDR Act.
States regulate it.
2 Sand mining at night is encouraged in the 2020 guidelines.
It is banned.
3 Sand mining can increase coastal erosion.
By reducing sediment.
4 The Deepak Kumar case was decided in 2012.
On minor minerals.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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