18 Oct 2018 | 05:46am IST
Impact assessment on biodiversity of rivers in Goa soon
It will assess the impact of sand mining that has taken place across the state on various rivers
PANJIM: With rampant sand mining taking place across various riverbeds, legally as well as illegally, the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) has decided to carry out an impact assessment study of such riverbed mining activities on the biodiversity of the rivers in Goa.
GSBB has approached CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) to undertake the study, which will give a clear picture on the impact the sand mining has on the ecological equilibrium of river and marine life.
GSBB member secretary Pradip Sarmokadam said the dredging and mining often leads to erosion, and the disturbance caused by the process of mining to the ocean or river floor can also adversely affect the biodiversity of the region.
“Riverbed mining causes several alterations to the physical characteristics of both a river and riverbed. These can severely impact the ecological equilibrium of a river and damage plants, animals and riparian habitats. Although several policy measures have been undertaken, the sheer demand for sand worldwide has given rise to a large network of sand mining operators,” he said.
Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has granted 200 permits for undertaking legal stand extraction in River Mandovi, Chapora River, Terekhol, Macazana River, Rivona, Loutolim and Talaulim river beds. An annual cap of 1400 cubic meters sand extraction per permit is been fixed.
Under the project “Studies on impact of sand mining on the marine biodiversity”, NIO will have to undertake study of the physico-chemical characteristic of seawater and sediment in the riverine zones subjected to sand extraction, study the diversity and abundance of phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthos in the riverine zones, assess the fish abundance and diversity in selected part of the study area and to evaluate the impact of sand extraction on the riverine ecology and biodiversity.
The study will be undertaken over a period of four months. NIO will have to submit two draft reports and two final reports along with recommendations. The total project cost is Rs 2.99 lakhs.
Following large scale of illegal sand mining being reported in the State, DMG has launched a flying squad as well as developed software to receive information in real time regarding extraction and transportation of sand.
