Illicit sand mining from the Thenpennai riverbed in the villages abutting the inter-State border has come to cause severe ramifications both from the point of systematic destruction of the river, forcing it to change its course to damaging the groundwater aquifers, leading to intrusion of seawater in the surrounding villages, adversely affecting the environment.
Despite an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and prohibitory orders clamped by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (South) to curb sand mining, little appears to have been done in this regard as indiscriminate sand mining continues unabated.
The Thenpennai is the main source of irrigation for large extent of lands in the north-western districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. At Soriyankuppam, the river divides the limits of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu and a visit to the river brought to the fore, how sand was being sucked dry from the riverbed. The riverbed, pockmarked with deep craters measuring 40 to 50 feet, stands testimony to the extent of illegal mining by the sand mafia.
PUDUCHERRY, 04/07/2019: (FOR UT MATTERS) The dry River bed of the Thenpennaiar in Soriyankuppam village near Bahour in Puducherry has been pockmarked by deep craters due to indiscriminate sand mining by the mafia. Photo: S.S. Kumar / The Hindu
“Every night, hundreds of bullock carts and tractors enter the riverbed through a burial ground in Soriyankuppam and lift sand. Even after repeated requests, the government has not provided adequate protection to the Soriyankuppam bridge and other structures. Sand mining has already damaged the pillars of the bridge. But the officials have not been able to check such practices”, V. Chandrasekhar, president, Bangaru Vaickal Neeradhara Kootamaippu, told The Hindu .
The NGT had banned river sand mining from the Thenpennai, taking into account the depleted river sand level, sinking riverbed and plummeting groundwater levels. However, illegal sand mining continued indiscriminately, he said. The current practice of mining sand within 200 metres downstream of the Sornavur anicut has led to severe intrusion of seawater. Already, there is a large-scale salinisation of wells in the region and if the current practice goes on unchecked, the entire area of the river up to Krishnapuram village in Puducherry, would be completely affected.
The Mining and Minerals Development and Regulation Act (MMRDA) clearly stipulates that illegal miners and transporters should be imprisoned for a period of two years with a fine of ₹.25,000. But not a single person has been fined so far, Mr. Chandrasekhar said. Although a few socially and environmentally conscious people have initiated steps by making complaints to the government on the damage caused indiscriminate sand mining, they are facing threats and insecurity at the hands of the sand mafia.
Sand mined from the river is transported every day and the check post at Periyar Nagar in Bahour set up on the directions of the National Green Tribunal to check illicit sand mining which remains unmanned.
A whistle-blower said that when information was passed on by him about sand mining on the 1031 helpline of the government, it was turned down and the authorities claimed that there was no truth in his complaint. But this information is passed on to the mafia to enable them grease the palms of the officials.
The whistle-blower also claimed that he had been receiving death threats from the mafia while visiting his agricultural land near Soriyankuppam. An early action should be taken in keeping with the rules governing sand mining, he said.
Another whistle-blower, who has been fighting against illicit sand mining, claimed that the mafia had damaged his two motors he had installed in his well and dumped blue metal on them.
Sivakolunthu, a farmer of Bahour, said that indiscriminate sand mining had altered the natural course of the river. “The designed flow of the river is not happening due to unscientific sand mining resulting in serious ecological impact in the region. The ground water levels in the surrounding areas has already plummeted due to indiscriminate removal of sand and in most places, the clay bottom layer has been exposed.”
The two check-posts at Thookanampakkam and Periyar Nagar, set up on the direction of the NGT to check sand mining, remained unmanned. On the Thenpennai riverbed, river sand is stored in hundreds of bags with capacity not exceeding 50 to 60 kg and kept near the deep craters. The bags are subsequently transported in two-wheelers to a common loading point and transported to different destinations with the help of bullock carts and cars through the two check posts. A police officer claimed that illicit sand mining had become a lucrative business and every household in Soriyankuppam and surrounding villages had two to three bullock carts parked in front of their houses.
A check post at Periyar Nagar in Bahour set up on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to check sand mining remains unmanned.
Earlier, the police used to impound the bullock carts and impose penalty on the cart owners. But now the police have started invoking stringent provisions against the owners and arresting them. Though illicit mining has been controlled to some extent many families continue to indulge in clandestine lifting of sand, he said.
A senior Revenue department official said that the authorities had established cattle traps and dug big grooves on the pathway to the river to prevent the entry of bullock carts and to stop from mining sand illegally. However, inspite of these measures people have been entering the areas surrounding the Thenpennai river belt and Kuruvinatham village and mining sand.
“Inspite of repeated raids, the authorities have not been able to curtail them as the persons engaged in this activity are under the impression that it is their right to take sand. During raids, on seeing the Revenue Officials, the illegal sand miners would run away from the site,” he said.
