Greens see red over Keralam govt’s move to permit sand mining in 17 rivers

File image shows a dry riverbed of the Bharathapuzha in Keralam. | Photo Credit: K K Mustafah

Environmental activists have expressed concerns about the impact of the Keralam government’s reported decision to permit extraction of 1.7 crore tonnes of sand from 17 rivers across the State from December 2026.

Functionaries of the Society for the Protection of the Environment, Kerala (SPEK) say that although this is presented as a flood mitigation step, no environmental impact assessment seems to have been conducted. SPEK president K. Koyatti and secretary K.K. Devadasan point out that it could also serve as a pretext for indiscriminate extraction of sand from all rivers and streams. The claim that dredging silt from a river prevents flooding lacks clarity, they say.

Mr. Koyatti says every river is a complex system, spanning various stages from its source to where it meets the ocean. It consists not only of water, but also of sand, soil, organic matter, aquatic plants, and aquatic life. “A river cannot truly be a river without sand. The presence of sand in a river is essential for controlling floods, facilitating the seepage of water into the soil which is later preserved as groundwater, and ensuring the retention of water in paddy fields, wetlands, wells and other waterbodies. Agriculture, irrigation, fisheries, and various development works are all founded upon this ecosystem, which has evolved over long periods,” he says.