When we talk about the sand industry, it's a growing and profitable industry. Uttarpradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana are the major regions where this industry is rapidly growing.
This sand is extracted from rivers or oceans and then it's transferred to different regions.
It has both local and regional demands and these demands are very high. The major contribution of sand is in the infrastructure industry apart from that sand or silica is also present in many industries, as an essential raw element for the product like glass, toothpaste or cosmetics.
Today we are using sand limitlessly and the diverse quality of the sand gave birth to the sand mafia.
From the sand mafia I mean particular traders who excavate sand to trade on a higher price for their personal profit gain. Illegal mining is a really big issue in India and as per the demand, it is becoming easier for illegal traders to make profit out of this big and growing industry. In some regions it's also getting political support and that makes it more dangerous.
Illegal sand mining is an offence under the IPC [section378 & 379], Mines and Minerals Development and Regulations Act,1957[section 4 and 21] and Environment Protection Act,1986[section 15]. Having such strict laws but still it's not in our control.The reason is very simple, there is no fear of law among these mafia groups and where the personal profit gain is high there the moral lose its meaning. It is not only harmful for the economy but also destroying the natural habitats.
Estimated 71.36 USD Million worth of Manufactured sand is exported over 165 countries in the year 2020-2021 from India.
This illegal sand mining business directly affects the legal Market of sand.
The government needs to focus on strictly enforcing laws and making policies which can prohibit the illegal sand mining.
This is an issue of politics also and many politicians from different parties have talked about it in their manifestos. As a citizen of this country and a responsible voter we can demand to stop this unlawful act not just for us but for mother nature too.
