Kerala - Kochi   

Indiscriminate mining on in Periyar

Staff Reporter

Annual ban on sand-mining from July 1

KOCHI: Two weeks ahead of the regular three-month ban on sand-mining in the Periyar river, rampant mining is on in Ernakulam district.

For the last two days, illegal mining had gone up rapidly affecting the natural trajectory of the river in many spots. Hundreds of loads of sand were transported from various ghats between Mulamkuzhi and Aluva. The ban on sand-mining imposed by the district administration every year would come into effect from July 1.

S. Sitaraman, secretary of the Association for Environment Protection at Aluva, said that illegal mining was active in the river in violation of the rules in the Kerala Protection of Riverbanks and Regulation of removal of Sand Act 2001.

Sand was being removed from within 10 metres of the riverbank. Quoting the Act, Prof. Sitaraman said that sand-mining was not permitted within a distance of 500 metres from any bridge, irrigation project or any project of the Water Resources Department.

Agreed Jabbar Mather, a resident of Sreemoolanagaram: “From dawn to dusk, scooping of the mineral continues at ghats near Manjapra.”

Environmentalists alleged that the price of sand would shoot up soon. Loads of sand would be hidden away before the commencement of the ban.

This would help traders cash in on the shortage, they said.

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