Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Vigil stepped up against sand-mining

Special Correspondent

Residents of Veli take the initiative

Thiruvananthapuram: Residents of the Veli fishermen's village in the city have formed a vigilante group to prevent unauthorised sand-mining from the seashore, believed to be the cause of environmental devastation of the coast.

Volunteers of the Seashore Protection Forum patrol the seashore in small boats equipped with searchlights from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Environmentalists say large tracts of beaches in the city are mined for sand, exposing the shoreline to erosion and posing a threat to houses along the coast. According to Cleetus Gomez of St. Thomas Church, Valiaveli, hundreds of truckloads of beach sand are removed from the Veli inlet every day. The illegal extraction of sand has eroded the beach bordering the western side of the church.

Local residents say the large-scale removal of sand has created deep pits on the remaining portion of the beach, creating a hazard for residents and unwary visitors. Scientists say sand extraction could be a major causative factor for the unprecedented erosion along the Thiruvananthapuram coast last year. Dozens of houses were washed away by strong tidal action and the seawall was damaged at several places. Hundreds of coconut trees were uprooted by waves.

Sources said the fishermen were often witness to the illegal mining of sand but they were helpless. Revenue officials said they had received reports of beach sand-mining in the Pallithura area. The Veli inlet is the most heavily-mined area. State president of the Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation T. Peter said the night vigil by the Seashore Protection Forum had created an impact in the neighbouring coastal villages also. "More villagers are coming forward to join the initiative," he said.

Early this year, women fish vendors from Veli had to face the ire of the organised sand-mining workers. Six persons were booked by the police and equipment used for sand-mining were seized after an attack on the women. "It is then that we decided that we have to do something to check illegal sand-mining. The initial response to the night vigil was encouraging," said Mr. Peter.

As many as 30 family units under the church are involved in the vigil. Volunteers from each unit take turns to keep vigil. The boats are kept ready to accost sand-miners and the volunteers are provided with whistles to warn their team-mates.

Mr .Peter said sand-miners had shifted their operations to the area near the railway bridge and the roadbridge adjoining the VSSC campus. "The removal of sand has exposed the foundation of the two bridges, posing a threat to their structural stability. The wire fence bordering the VSSC campus has also collapsed as a result of the heavy sand mining," he said.

Data recorded at the Centre for Earth Science Studies here show that the erosion along the Thiruvananthapuram coast in 2006 was the worst since 1980. Scientists point out that large-scale extraction of sand from the beaches at Thumba and Veli is the primary cause for the intensified coastal erosion.

The saline sand removed from beaches is favoured as a foundation-filling material for buildings, as it repels termites and rodents. Unscrupulous traders also mix the beach sand with river sand to reap more profit.

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