Akash Kumar

Digging the Narmada: Illegal Sand Mining- Its impact on societies

This article is about the consequences of Illegal sand mining, along the Narmada River, on

community’s livelihood and solidarity. This article also talking about the Narmada Bachao

Andolan (NBA) struggle to stop illegal sand mining, which is causing excessive ecological

degradation and human conflict in the valley. In a little bit article looking towards the politics

behind illegal sand mining.

The impacts of illegal sand mining in the Narmada valley started appearing in 2010. Illegal sand

mining was started on large level. The people of the Narmada valley have already suffering from

huge displacement, now, this rampant illegal sand mining, putting them into the misery. Narmada

Bachao Andolan, after looking at rampant illegal sand mining in the Nimad area of Madhya

Pradesh, started interfering in this matter, because it is degrading the ecology of the river. Due to

rampant sand mining in the area many conflicts have emerged among villagers.

It was my first day of internship with Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). The NBA volunteers

asked me to join them for a visit to illegal sand mining areas along the left bank of the Narmada

River. The way I went through was too difficult to walk. Dust, potholes, and shrubs were on the

both sides of the un-metaled road. The village of Bhilkheda through which we went to the river

bank will be submerged when Saradar Sarovar Dam’s 17 meter radial gates will be closed and the

dam reaches its full reservoir level 138.68 m. According to the government records Bhilkheda’s

residents have already resettled. However, I noticed that there were still many people residing in

the village and doing agriculture. Even the government primary school was still functioning.

Bhilkheda and Pendra villages (where illegal sand mining is taking place) are part of the Sardar

Sarovar Project (SSP) affected area. According to Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal judgment in

1979, no work can be done in catchment area of SSP apart from reservoir related work and

agriculture. The villages, where illegal sand mining is undertaken are categorized as the Schedule

Tribe villages as per government records. Hence sand mining in these areas is also totally illegal

activity without Gram Sabha’s consent. According to Panchayat Extension of Schedule Areas Act,

1996 and Forest Right Act, 2006, only Gram Sabha can permit mining or other activities in the

Panchayat area.

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Illegal Sand Mining and Environment-

This well known that disproportionate sand mining along the river cause environment and

ecological destruction. Many scientific studies have demonstrated that sand mining is harmful for

the ecology of the river. It causes decrease in fish, adversely impact on the habitat of

microorganism, change in river course, flood, decrease in groundwater level, etc. Sand and

boulders are as important, for the river, as fish and tributaries. “There is perception that sand and

boulders are useless and river have a lot of sand. This is incorrect, because they are crucial for the

sustained existence of the river and perform many function.” Pointed out Himanshu Thakkar of

the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People.

Photo- Destruction of Narmada river bank, agriculture and forest due to rampant sand mining at

Pendra village, Barwani, Madhya Pradesh.

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Sand, in river bed and bank, is crucial for ground water table recharge. And it is also habitat of

many intangible microorganisms which keep soil fertile. The whole Ganga-Yamuna fertile plain

is the formation of sand deposition. The plains along the Narmada River is also benefiting by the

sand deposition. But now, the long term adverse impact of sand mining, on the fisheries, short term

livelihood such as production of watermelon in the sand of the river, flora and fauna, causing great

risks for the Narmada valley ecology and people.

Illegal Sand Mining and the People

One of the other concern here is that, the villagers who got compensation for their land and

resettled somewhere else give away their agriculture land for sand mining instead of cultivating it.

Since the mining mafias are also cutting trees which likely to cause soil erosion in the area, illegal

sand mining will also increase the flood risk in the nearby villages. In addition, illegal sand mining

along the banks of Narmada is reducing the height of adjacent lands, consequently, back water of

the river is boosting the risk of flooding in the nearby villages.

Sand mafias in the area are digging the bank of the river, which has very harmful consequences

for the ecology of river, villages, agriculture, and air. Sand mafias are clearing and digging

submergence area, because in those areas sand is find in different layers so they dig 20-30 feet, for

finding sand layers under the soil packs. They sell sand in local markets for making profits. In

other words, extracting soils along the river bank and putting it back in the main stream of river

affecting the ecology of river bed severely. Ignoring the consequences of sand mining on the

Narmada ‘human greed is not only destroying the ecology of river but also harming other human

beings’.

“Fish is All Which We Have!”

“Fish is all we have. Now, police is preventing us from catching fish from the river and blaming

us for illegal sand mining. They always ask us if we are carrying sand in our boats. This way, they

accuse us of stealing sand from the river bank. Why would we do this? Tell me. We were producing

watermelon in that sand and earning nearly 20,000 rupees during summer season. It will be like

we are ‘digging our own grave’ said a fisher woman from Pichhodi village. So, illegal sand mining

is just not digging the river, but it is also ruining the livelihood of several dependent communities.

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Hindering livelihood gains from the river instead of preventing illegal sand mining by establishing

check posts is what local authorities are doing there. Sometimes, this leads to conflict between

communities because sand mafias hire some of the local people to extract sand illegally.

Consequently, it is difficult for villagers to oppose the illegal sand mafias themselves.

Where Will We Go? Generation Old Occupation is Going to Disappear.

The Kumhars (potter makers) along the Narmada River making brick far long time. The

government issues lease for sand mining but does not allow the Kumhars (potter makers’

community) to use soil (Ghesa) from the bank of the Narmada for running their traditional

livelihood (occupation). More than 30 people from Nisarpur, Kukshi district Dhar of Kumhar

community came to the NBA office to seek legal help from the Andolan.

“Brick making is our generations old traditional occupation. Our entire family survives on this.

This is the only source of our livelihood. Our parents and grandparents were getting soil from the

bank of the Narmada to sustain their livelihood. Today, we are doing the same. But since the last

two years, mining officers and police are preventing us from acquiring soil from the bank by

claiming that this is the High Court’s order and we cannot take soil from the submergence area.

Now we don’t have any other work to do and our families are going to starve.” told the people

from Kumhar community of Nisarpur, Kukshi in the NBA office, in Barwani. So now, how can

they these poor people survive? How can they save their traditional livelihood? The government

is turning a blind eye, first towards its own policies and second towards the people and their needs.

NBA Legal Struggle to Protect Narmada from Sand Mafias

There is no regular monitoring conducted by the Mining Inspector in the area. No check-post is

established to stop the illegal work. I witnessed the same incident when I visited illegal sand

mining areas of Barwani such as Pendra and Bhilkheda villages. Volunteers of the NBA went to

this area for inspecting illegal sand mining. They informed the local mining inspector once they

caught a tractor trolley and 4 SUPADIS (regional soil removal tool) in the illegal mining sites. The

mining inspector along with a constable came after a long time and blamed the NBA volunteers

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instead of investigating with villagers and the trolley owner. I appreciate the work of the NBA

volunteers who all their efforts to help mining inspector to seize above mentioned tools. We waited

for 5 hours to make the mining department to grab the tools and file application against the sand

mafias. You can see pictures below where the NBA volunteers are driving their effort to help

officials to forfeit SUPADIS.

Photo: - NBA volunteer bringing out SUPADI from mud which is also a result of sand mining.

The Mining Department constable watching them.

Akash Kumar

Photo- Result of illegal sand mining in Pendra.

To hinder the active participation of the NBA to stop illegal sand mining in the area, sand mafias

block the connecting road to the river bank by putting mud on the ways. Their aim is to prevent

small vehicles from reaching the sand mines. Sand mafias also assign people to spy on the NBA

volunteers who sometimes visit the area order to monitor or catch illegal sand mining activities in

the area.

Finding out the consequences of sand mining the NBA filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in

2013 at Jabalpur High Court and asked the Court to ban illegal sand mining in Alirajpur, Barwani,

Dhar and Khargone. Additionally, another case is going on in the National Green Tribunal (NGT),

Bhopal which recently issued an order to seize the tractors caught in illegal sand mining.

In fact, one of the recent incidents, indicated non-cooperation from government side. Police and

sand mafias put fake First Information Report (F.I.R.), at Barwani police station, on the NBA

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volunteers. So that they can scare them off and discourage the NBA struggle to stop illegal sand

mining in the area. Consequently, police arrested two volunteers of the NBA the very next day of

F.I.R. and they charged for having fight with tractor driver, carrying sand on tractor.

Several reports and news have come out but there is no improvement in the government

monitoring. In January 2015, Madhya Pradesh High Court put a ban on illegal sand mining in the

SSP catchment area. However, in reality, the Government of Madhya Pradesh and local

responsible authorities are not willing to stop illegal sand mining in the area. The Narmada River

and her tributaries have already been blocked by 30 large, 135 medium and 3000 small dams. The

days, when a civilization evacuate and transform due to greed, corruption and illegal sand mining,

are unfortunately not far away. Rampant illegal sand mining in the area is also causing conflicts

between the local villagers. The government actions and bad monitoring in this case snatching

livelihoods of many community such as Kumhars and fishermen. I hope the NBA struggle to save

the Narmada and people rights wouldn’t go in vain. The government should take illegal sand

mining on priorities as it not only affecting environment but also the people livelihood.

AKASH KUMAR

Azim Premji University, Bangalore

Contact No.- +919453035130

Email id- akash.kumar15@apu.edu.in