Lok Sabha Question No. 2742 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-10
Subject: Illegal Sand Mining
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit, Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, Supriya Sadanand Sule, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2742 ANSWERED ON 10.07.2019

## ILLEGAL SAND MINING

2742. SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA: DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE: DR. HEENA GAVIT: SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE: SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE: DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  cases  pertaining  to  illegal  mining  of  major  and  minor  minerals especially  sand  mining  reported  in  the  country  during  the  last  three  years, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has taken measures to check illegal mining of sand and if  so, the action taken against the offenders during the last three years and the current year;
- (c) whether  the  Union  Government  has  held  any  discussions  with  the  State Governments  in  regard  to  illegal  sand  mining  and  if  so,  the  details  and  the outcome thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  developed  any  mechanism  to  check  and  control illegal  sand  mining  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the names of nodal officers, location-wise and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to check the damage to the environment from illegal mining of sand from the river beds?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINES, COAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a): As per the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR)  Act,  1957  and  rules  made  there  under,  the  State  Governments  are custodians of the minerals located within their respective boundaries. Section 23C of the MMDR Act, 1957 empowers the State Governments to make rules for preventing illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals and for the purposes connected therewith.  Based  on  the  information  reported  by  the  State  Governments  to  Indian Bureau of Mines, the details of the cases of illegal mining for major & minor minerals, State/UT-wise is as under:

| Illegal mining cases   | Illegal mining cases   | Illegal mining cases   | Illegal mining cases   | Illegal mining cases   | Action taken from 2016-17 to 2018-19   | Action taken from 2016-17 to 2018-19   | Action taken from 2016-17 to 2018-19   | Action taken from 2016-17 to 2018-19   |
|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| S. No.                 | State                  | 2016- 17               | 2017- 18               | 2018-19                | No. of FIRs Lodged                     | No. of Court Cases Filed               | No. of Vehicles Seized                 | Fine realized by State Govt (Rs. Lakh) |
| 1                      | Andaman & Nicobar      | n. r.                  | n. r.                  | n. r.                  | n. r.                                  | n. r.                                  | n. r.                                  | n. r.                                  |
| 2                      | Andhra Pradesh         | 9703                   | 8128                   | 7644                   | 30                                     | 18                                     | 648                                    | 8580.115                               |
| 3                      | Assam                  | n. r.                  | n. r.                  | n. r                   | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 4                      | Chhattisgarh           | 4794                   | 4857                   | 5060                   | 0                                      | 14711                                  | 0                                      | 2525.374                               |
| 5                      | Goa                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 6                      | Gujarat                | 8325                   | 7827                   | 7679                   | 325                                    | 21                                     | 20066                                  | 22118.33                               |
| 7                      | Haryana                | 1345                   | 1391                   | 1380                   | 517                                    | 0                                      | 0                                      | 1036.502                               |
| 8                      | Himachal Pradesh       | 783                    | 1753                   | 590                    | 0                                      | 410                                    | 4                                      | 69.761                                 |
| 9                      | Jammu & Kashmir        | n. r.                  | 1485                   | n. r                   | 0                                      | 0                                      | 1485                                   | 15.896                                 |
| 10                     | Jharkhand              | 838                    | 2772                   | 3132                   | 1900                                   | 651                                    | 7028                                   | 3683.825                               |
| 11                     | Karnataka              | 5692                   | 4669                   | 4101                   | 3070                                   | 459                                    | 2716                                   | 6868.385                               |
| 12                     | Kerala                 | 4861                   | 8315                   | 7797                   | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 12299.32                               |
| 13                     | Madhya Pradesh         | 13880                  | 15205                  | 16405                  | 479                                    | 24456                                  | 2477                                   | 135439.4                               |
| 14                     | Maharashtra            | 31173                  | 26628                  | 13436                  | 4405                                   | 0                                      | 71237                                  | 28496.58                               |
| 15                     | Mizoram                | n. r.                  | n. r.                  | n. r                   | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 16                     | Odisha                 | 45                     | 47                     | 29                     | 2                                      | 4                                      | 82                                     | 1750.321                               |
| 17                     | Punjab                 | n. r.                  | n. r.                  | n. r                   | n. r                                   | n. r                                   | n. r                                   | n. r                                   |
| 18                     | Rajasthan              | 3945                   | 6632                   | 17118                  | 2620                                   | 44                                     | 293846                                 | 16021.118                              |
| 19                     | Sikkim                 | n. r.                  | n. r.                  | n. r                   | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 20                     | Tamil Nadu             | 87                     | 132                    | 113                    | 22956                                  | 45                                     | 39741                                  | 12798.062                              |
| 21                     | Telangana              | 5839                   | 6143                   | 6553                   | 0                                      | 0                                      | 2                                      | 4757.36                                |
| 22                     | Uttar Pradesh          | 5737                   | 20214                  | 24455                  | 677                                    | 4423                                   | 0                                      | 13864.06                               |
| 23                     | West Bengal            | n. r.                  | n. r.                  | n. r                   | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| Grand Total            | Grand Total            | 97047                  | 116198                 | 115492                 | 36981                                  | 45242                                  | 439332                                 | 270324.41                              |

(n. r. - quarterly return not received)

- (b):  Sand  is  a  minor  mineral  under  Section  3(e)  of  the  MMDR  Act.  For  minor minerals, all policy and legislation for grant of mineral concessions, regulation and administration  is  covered  in  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State  Governments  under  the MMDR Act and the Rules framed thereunder.
- (c)  to  (e):  Based  on  the  discussions  in  the  Meeting  of  Union  Mines  Minister  and Mining  Ministers  of  States  on  4 th May,  2017,  a  high-level  committee  under  the chairmanship of Union Mines Secretary was constituted to study the existing system of sand mining in various States and suggest a comprehensive sand mining policy. Ministry of Mines has prepared a Sand Mining Framework, as a model for adoption by the States,  in  consultation  with  Mining  Departments  of  the  States  incorporating best practices amongst  States  and  suggestions  based  on the objectives of sustainability, availability, affordability and transparency in sand mining.

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