PANJIM: The construction industry in Goa is likely to be hit hard by a sand crisis, as uncertainty looms large over sand mining for the second consecutive season. Until the sand accretion and erosion study, undertaken by the Department of Environment through the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) across all river beds is completed, no environmental clearances (ECs) for sand extraction activities will be granted in the State.
Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had not renewed or granted sand mining permits for the 2018 season, after an NGO approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking restrictions on the number of sand mining permits. DMG had issued over 300 sand mining permits for the 2017 season with a cap of 1,400 cubic metres per permit.
A senior official told Herald that the Mines Department is not in a position to grant any permits for the sand mining activities during the upcoming season, unless the Environment Department grants ECs. “As per EC norms, the State has to conduct the study of rivers to assess the impact of sand mining activities so far. The study will give a clear picture of the impact sand mining has had on the ecological equilibrium of river and marine life,” the official said.
“The Environment Department has even informed the High Court that the ECs for sand mining will be granted only once the study is complete,” the official said, adding that the Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral has directed that the study be completed within a period of one year, as against the two-year period sought by NIO.
Apart from undertaking sand accretion and erosion study, NIO will also monitor other parameters like the bio-diversity index. “Riverbed mining causes several alterations to the physical characteristics of a river and riverbed. These can severely impact the ecological equilibrium of a river and damage plants, animals and riparian habitats,” the official said.
In a petition filed by NGO Rainbow Warriors, the High Court had ruled that sand mining activities undertaken without ECs cannot be considered legal. The Court had noted that no fresh carrying capacity assessment of rivers has been undertaken since 2012 and so also the assessment of depth of rivers.
