2023 Riverbed Mining India: 261 deaths in Violence & Accidents in 11 Months

April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Agitated people clashing with police force after a 27 year old person was crushed to death by a speeding truck transporting sand from Subarnarekha river in Dahmura area under Gopivallabhpur in West Mednapore district in Feb. 2023. The report also mentioned about 12 policemen getting injured in the incident. Image Source: TV9 )

Rivers eco-system in India have been facing significant destruction and threats from unsustainable and illegal mining of minor minerals. Quarrying of riverbeds for gravels, sand, stones, murram by giant machines has not only been disturbing the surface flows, groundwater recharge functions of the rivers but also damaging essential infrastructure including bridges, embankments, drinking and irrigational water supply facilities.

The dependent aquatic species, riverine wildlife and riparian communities all are at the receiving end of the unaccounted and unaddressed impacts of destructive riverbed mining practices. Moreover, the brazen mining and transportation operations have also been resulting in avoidable accidents and violent incidents causing untimely deaths and grievous injuries to hundreds of people.

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Sand Mining

2023: Riverbed Mining Deaths & Violence in South India

March 21, 2023March 21, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The spot where the 7 girls were drowned (in sand mine pit) at A. Kuchipalayam, near Cuddalore, in Tamil Nadu on June 5, 2022. The Hindu)

This report (fourth part of our series on this subject in 2023) summarizes the detailed compilation tracking the human death toll and violent incidents related to illegal and unsustainable riverbed mining activities in Southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in 11 months between April 2022 and February 2023. The first three parts of the series have covered sand mining related human casualties and violence in North, East and West Zones for the same period.

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Sand Mining

2023: Riverbed Mining Deaths & Violence in WEST INDIA

March 15, 2023March 15, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Wreckage of sand laden tractor after collision with sand loaded truck in Dholpur, Rajasthan in June 2022. Image Source: Patrika)

After analysis of the riverbed mining related deaths and violence incidents in North and East Indian states in Part one and Part two between April 2022 and February 2023, this third part in the series presents the summary of detailed compilation on the topic in West Indian states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa for the period.

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Dams · Sand Mining

Bihar Sand Mining 2020: Ruining rivers; aggravating floods

July 22, 2020October 31, 2020 SANDRP4 Comments

{Feature image: Up to 300 trucks a day take their fill of sand at a mine on the Sone River in Bihar state. India’s construction boom is stripping large volumes of sand, a vital ingredient in concrete, from its rivers. Environmentalists say the extraction is unsustainable, harming local hydrology and wildlife. Paul Salopek}

The 2018 review of sand mining [i] for Bihar highlighted how mismanagement by govt and then National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban on sand mining in Ganga river, Son rivers particularly during monsoon months resulted in sand scarcity and soaring prices affected public and livelihoods of mining laborers.

The video report featuring local people revealed that illegal mining was causing floods in West Champaran by damaging embankments. Similarly, the report on Gaya mentioned sand mining among reasons behind increasing air pollution. The death of four kids by drowning into sand mine pits was shocking. This compilation presents the situation after 2018 so far.

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Sand Mining

Illegal Sand Mining Violence 2018: at least 28 People died across India

February 28, 2019March 6, 2019 SANDRP4 Comments

Across the country, many government officials were killed while taking action against illegal sand extraction in 2018. So were the lethal attacks on reporters and citizens for exposing illegalities and objecting to illegal mining activities. Many innocent people lost lives in accidents related to illegal sand mining related incidents which could have been avoided. This compilation of sand mining related incidents also highlights how illegal sand mining was damaging the infrastructure providing essential services.

NORTH INDIA

Uttrakhand A 115 years old British era bridge on Tons river in Birpur, Dehradun collapsed on Dec. 28 reportedly due to overloaded sand trucks. Two people were killed[1] in the accident. The single lane bridge was damaged during 2013 floods and opened for public after repair.

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