The Hindu : Sand-mining: Vellore facing a slow death

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 15, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Kottayam

Sand-mining: Vellore facing a slow death

By George Jacob

KOTTAYAM, JAN. 14. Large-scale mechanised sand-mining from the floodplains on the side of the Moovattupuzha river at Vellore grama panchayat, near Vaikom, was raising a threat to the fragile ecological equilibrium and was putting a strain on the delicate socio-economic balance of the village.

So far, sand-mining in the area was mainly confined to the river mining operations.

Not that the sand deposits underneath the rich paddy fields were discovered recently. Even old-timers used to make use of these sand deposits for their personal use. The pits so formed would be used as a pond for irrigation purposes and with the passage of time these ponds used to get replenished through the undercurrents in the floodplains.

However, mechanised sand-mining from the over bank areas was a comparatively recent phenomenon and was forced by the ban on river sand-mining in the area and the increased demand on account of the construction boom in Ernakulam and Kottayam districts.

Vellore panchayat, according to a study, had at least 42 river sand-mining `kadavus', which were mining at least 126 truckloads per day. This was against the recommended six locations mining 30 truckloads per day.

With the ban on river sand-mining, these operations had almost stopped. Today, at least 23 mining centres are operating in the floodplains of the panchayat alone and more are coming up.

That there are seven mines operating within a two acre plot points to the dimension of the new phenomenon. More than 60 acres of the area have been bought off by the sand miners in the vicinity.

The floodplains, though rich `padasekharams', had little value in the real estate market. With the arrival of over bank sand miners, these areas, which used get around Rs. 600 a cent, today command Rs. 16,000 or more.

Once the land was in their possession, the miners move in with a well-laid out plan. The topsoil would be sold off to brick kilns. Once the topsoil is removed, they bring in the machines and pump out the sand beneath, along with the water. The water is drained off to the irrigation canal.

The mining may go on for months and in many cases, the resulting pits would be as deep as 20 meters. These craters are left open as the miners move to new areas.

Of late, the operations have become more organised and the once sleepy village is being faced with new challenges — economic, political and social. Landowners, contractors and financiers today form a network, all of them taking a share of the operations.

A section of the labourers too have joined the activity, which fetches them more income, that too, with less sweat, as the mining is fully mechanised.

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