Rising concerns: Centre moves forward with ₹ 35,000 cr sea sand mining project

Kollam: Serious concerns have been raised over the Central Government’s proposed project to mine sand worth around Rs 35,000 crore off the Kerala coast. According to official estimates, the sand extracted from the coastline along Kollam district alone would amount to Rs 14,200 crore. However, though the actual price of the sand would be multiple times these estimates, the state government will receive only its share of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the amount.

Exploration by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has revealed that 74.5 crore tonnes of sand for construction is present in Ponnani, Chavakkad, Alappuzha, and Kollam in Kerala. In fact, three blocks in Kollam alone contain 30.24 crore tonnes. The average price of a tonne of sand is Rs 470, according to the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). Private firms that win the bid to mine will have to pay Centre a royalty fee. However, the state will not receive royalty on sand extracted from its jurisdiction, which is within 12 nautical miles from the coast. Kerala had pointed out this issue to the Centre when the state’s opinion was sought on the amendment to the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, but no favourable response was received.

Scientists at the GSI said that the current effort aims at mining those submerged sand beds. However, no scientific study has been carried out on the environmental impact of the mining or how long it would take for the area to return to its previous state.

Another contentious issue is the method to be adopted to desalinate the sand mined from the sea. Initially, the ‘trailer suction hopper method’ will be implemented on a trial basis. Under this method, sand will be extracted from the sea bed using special equipment, and the mud in it will be dumped back into the sea. The remaining sand will be transferred to a ‘hopper’ and brought to shore, where it will be spread to a thickness of 1-2 meters.

According to some GSI scientists, the salt content in the sand could be removed by exposure to rain, and the sand could then be used for construction after separating items such as clam shells and wood. However, other scientists are doubtful about whether sea sand, which contains a high amount of salt, would be suitable for construction even after desalination. They also question the claim that rains would purify sea sand.

Another concern is the availability of land along Kerala’s coast to carry out desalination. Currently, the entire coastline is lined with fishermen’s boats, sheds for storing nets and boat engines, and their houses. As a result, the sand mined from the sea would have to be transported to sparsely populated areas or other states for desalination. However, the Centre has yet to address these issues.

Aggravating matters, the Centre has announced the project even as recent studies indicate that heatwaves and cyclones have altered the ecosystem of the sea. In fact, the Indian Ocean witnessed eight cyclones in a single year—2023. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for 2022 also warned that record-high temperatures are being recorded in the ocean. The report further expressed concerns that by 2050, the situation could worsen, with heatwaves lasting 200 to 250 days a year, potentially leading to mass fish casualties. A recent study of 68 fish species by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) found that 69 per cent of them are facing extinction.