Green clearances for sand mining without proper study detrimental for ecology: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said granting environmental clearances for sand mining, without a proper study of the existing position of the riverbed, would be detrimental to ecology.

It stressed the need for appropriate studies to explore sustainable and cost-effective methods for river-sand mining.

A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar said the demand for construction-grade sand is growing at a tremendous rate and it is said that the world is likely to run out of this resource by 2050.

“Construction-grade sand can be found in aquatic environments, such as rivers, and is a provisioning ecosystem service. Even under controlled circumstances, the practice of extracting sand from the riverbed and banks impacts the environment.

“In the physical environment, the primary effects are riverbed widening and lowering. In the biological environment, the overarching effect is a reduced biodiversity and stretches from the aquatic and shoreline flora and fauna to the whole floodplain area,” the bench said.

The court said due to easy access, river sand and gravel have been used extensively in construction projects.

Depending on the mining-operation method as well as morphologic and hydraulic characteristics of the river, sand mining may cause bed and bank erosion or other negative consequences for the river ecosystem.

“It is, therefore, necessary to conduct appropriate studies, including that of replenishment to explore sustainable and cost-effective methods for river mining,” the bench said.

The top court said without a proper study of the existing position of the riverbed and its sustainability for further sand mining, granting environmental clearances would be detrimental for the ecology.

“It has therefore been held that a detailed study leading to the preparation of a replenishment report is an integral part of the District Survey Report. If the District Survey Report becomes the foundation for the consideration of an application for an environmental clearance, then it is compelling to ensure that replenishment studies are undertaken in advance and the report forms an integral part of the District Survey Report,” the bench said.

A District Survey Report is a document created by a district’s geology, irrigation, forest, public works or mining department to evaluate areas for mining activity, identify locations where mining should be prohibited, calculate the rate of replenishment of resources and determine appropriate rest periods after mining.