While the country has sand mining laws in place, a lack of proper implementation and monitoring means that the riverbeds are constantly threatened. Pulaha Roy, along with Siddharth Agarwal and Kumar Anirvan, researchers with Kolkata-based non-profit Veditum India Foundation's sand mining platform, analyses satellite images of rivers across India to highlight the massive scale of ecological degradation due to sand mining and the open violation of mining laws.
MAY 15, 2022
BETWA
HAMIRPUR DISTRICT, UTTAR PRADESH
There is a clear distinction between the natural and disrupted flow of the Betwa river in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh, caused by artificial bunds that spread over a 7-km stretch. Presence of sand trucks and earthmovers near the artificial bunds point to active sand mining operations. Such massive disruption to the natural flow of the river gives rise to several ecological impacts such as migration of aquatic species and adverse changes in the food chain.
MARCH 3, 2022
KEN
BANDA DISTRICT, UTTAR PRADESH
The Ken, which originates in Madhya Pradesh, also passes through Uttar Pradesh and merges with the Yamuna in Banda district. Here too, sand mining is marked along a nearly 5-km stretch through presence of trucks, earthmovers and bunds that disrupt the river's natural flow. The resultant ecological imbalance and environmental pollution, such as release of toxins from the damaged river bed, is grounds for premature termination of mining leases, as per state law.
OCTOBER 28, 2022
SON
ROHTAS DISTRICT, BIHAR
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 16, 2023 من Down To Earth.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 16, 2023 من Down To Earth.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara