Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Concern over riverbank collapse

Staff Reporter

Indiscriminate sand-mining in Achencoil river

PATHANAMTHITTA: The frequent collapse of Achencoil riverbanks has been causing grave concern as it is resulting in loss of land for the people residing on the banks.

The indiscriminate mining of sand has already lowered the riverbed to an alarming level. Konni, Kumbazha, Pramadom, Kaippattoor and Pandalam are the worst affected areas.

Illegal sand quarrying from the flood plane areas along the riverbanks has reportedly become common, despite the three-month ban on collection of sand during the months of July, August and September, thanks to the alleged sand mafia-official-politician nexus in the region.

The bridges in Konni, Kumbazha, Kaipattor, Pandalam, Pottamelkadavu, Vallicaud, Pramadom, Ambalakkadavu and Venmony are said to be in danger owing to the large-scale sand-mining in their vicinity, violating the regulations.

The 128-km-long Achencoil river, with a river-basin of 1.484 sq km, itself is facing irreparable degradation, owing mainly to unchecked sand-mining.

Studies conducted by the Centre for Earth Science Studies have pointed out that the riverbed has been going down by 9 cm every year. The studies found the annual sand replenishment in the river a mere 0.006 million cubic metre against the annual sand extraction of 0.5 million cubic metres.

The local environmental activists, who have been campaigning against the illegal sand-mining, allege that at least 300 lorry loads of sand have been smuggled from the river on a daily basis, even during the monsoon period.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

`LDF rule has led to anarchy'
Concern over riverbank collapse
Heavy rain: Moozhiyar dam shutters opened

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu