Environmental campaigners in Kerala have criticised a reported decision by the state government to allow 1.7 crore tonnes (17 million tonnes) of sand to be taken from 17 rivers from December 2026, The Hindu reports.
The government presents the extraction as a way to reduce flooding. Leaders of the campaign group SPEK say they can see no sign that the environmental impact has been formally assessed and that the plan could open the way to unchecked sand mining across the state's waterways.
They argue that sand is essential to a river's health, helping water soak into the ground, recharging the wells many rural households depend on, and supporting fish and other aquatic life. They warn that lowering riverbeds could damage plant life and fisheries along the rivers and affect people whose livelihoods depend on them.
Source: The Hindu
Photo: Kerala backwaters, House, India by Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Kerala.
