Coastal sand mining, whether legal or illegal, poses one of the biggest threats to our environment. Analyze the impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts, citing specific examples.
Approach · directive: “analyse / citing examples”
What it asks · Analyse how taking sand from beaches, dunes, estuaries and the near-shore harms the coastal environment and the people who live on it, and support the analysis with Indian examples.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Analyse the impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts: erosion, ecology, water, livelihoods
- Cite specific Indian examples
Open with · NCCR finds 33.6% of India's mainland coast eroding between 1990 and 2018, with West Bengal (60.5%) and Kerala (46.4%) worst hit; beaches and dunes are natural sea walls that rivers and waves rebuild slowly, and sand mining removes them faster than nature returns them.
Cover
- Erosion: without beach and dune sand, waves reach inland and the buffer against cyclones and surges weakens.
- Ecology: nesting sites of turtles, crabs and shorebirds are lost; mangroves, estuaries and seagrass suffer; turbid water harms fish breeding.
- Water: the beach water table drops and seawater enters aquifers and river mouths, turning wells and fields saline.
- Livelihoods: fishing grounds, landing sites and tourism decline; locals bear the costs while contractors and illegal miners profit.
- Example, Alappad-Chavara (Kollam): beach-mineral mining by IREL and KMML since the 1960s; the NGT took suo motu notice in 2019 (OA 76/2019) and NCESS studied erosion along a 22 km stretch.
- Law: CRZ Notifications (2011, 2019) prohibit sand mining in the regulated zone; Deepak Kumar (2012) requires environmental clearance for minor minerals; MoEFCC guidelines of 2016 and 2020 add district survey reports and task forces.
Close with · Treating beach sand as a shared coastal defence rather than a free mineral is how India delivers SDG 14, to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources, along its 7,516 km coastline.
Add value (verified)
- Ministry of Mines (PIB, 1 August 2022): to check illegal mining of beach sand minerals, their export was canalised through IREL (DGFT notification of 21 August 2018) and on 20 February 2019 the monazite threshold for beach sand minerals was set at 0.00 per cent, giving the government complete control over monazite and zircon in them.Illegal mining of beach sand minerals — Ministry of Mines press release, PIB, 1 August 2022 ↗“On 20.2.2019, towards ensuring complete government control over "Monazite" and "Zircon" occurring within the "Beach sand Minerals" Ministry of Mines (MoM) amended AMCR-2016- Threshold value of Monazite" for BSM occurring in teri or placer deposits as "0.00% in Total Heavy Minerals (THM).”
- PIB (MoES, Rajya Sabha reply, 31 March 2022): NCCR analysed 6,632 km of mainland coastline from 1990 to 2018 and found about 33.6 per cent under varying degrees of erosion.PIB: About 33.6% of the coastline is under varying degree of erosion (2022) ↗“a total of 6,632 km long Indian coastline of mainland has been analyzed from 1990 to 2018 and it is noted that about 33.6 % of the coastline is under varying degree of erosion.”
- PIB (NCCR table, 2022): share of coastline eroding, 1990-2018: West Bengal 60.5%, Puducherry 56.2%, Kerala 46.4%, Tamil Nadu 42.7%; all-India 33.6%.PIB: About 33.6% of the coastline is under varying degree of erosion (2022) ↗“6 Kerala 592.96 275.33 46.4 7 East Coast Tamil Nadu 991.47 422.94 42.7 8 Puducherry 41.66 23.42 56.2 9 Andhra Pradesh 1027.58 294.89 28.7 10 Odisha 549.50 140.72 25.6 11 West Bengal 534.35 323.07 60.5 Total 6907.18 2318.31 33.6”
- NGT, OA 76/2019 (Kerala SPCB report, September 2019): the case concerns mining by IREL and KMML along the Chavara coast of Kollam; on the NGT's direction NCESS studied erosion along the Neendakara-Kayamkulam stretch and the contribution of beach-sand extraction to it.NGT: Report in OA No. 76 of 2019 (Alappad-Chavara beach sand mining) ↗“As per the direction of the National Green Tribunal, a preliminary study report, on the erosions along the Neendakara, Kayamkulam coastal stretch and the contribution of beach sand extraction on the extent of vulnerability, prepared by National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) has been submitted. The NCESS has conducted the study along 22Km long coastal stretch”
- PIB (MoEFCC, Lok Sabha reply, 2024): the Ministry issued the Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines, 2016 and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020 to set a regulatory regime for sustainable sand mining.PIB: Illegal sand mining (2024) ↗“Ministry has also issued the Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines, 2016 and Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining 2020 to put in place an appropriate regulatory regime for sustainable sand mining and adoption of environmentally friendly management practices.”
- UN SDG 14, official wording: conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Goal 14 ↗“Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2019, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 224words · Minimalist IAS
NCCR finds 33.6% of India's mainland coast eroding (1990-2018), West Bengal (60.5%), Puducherry (56.2%) and Kerala (46.4%) worst hit. Beaches and dunes are natural sea walls; mining removes sand faster than nature returns it.
Impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts
- Erosion: without beach and dune sand, waves reach inland and the cyclone buffer weakens.
- Ecology: turtle nesting sites, mangroves and seagrass are lost; turbid water harms fish breeding.
- Water: the beach water table drops and seawater enters aquifers, turning wells saline.
- Livelihoods: fishing grounds and tourism decline; locals pay, illegal miners profit.
Specific examples
- Alappad-Chavara, Kollam (Kerala): beach-mineral mining by IREL and KMML; the NGT took up the case in 2019 and had NCESS study erosion along the Neendakara-Kayamkulam stretch.
- Law: the CRZ Notifications (2011, 2019) prohibit sand mining; Deepak Kumar (2012) requires clearance even for minor minerals; MoEFCC guidelines (2016, 2020) add district survey reports; enforcement stays weak.
✏️ Map to sketch in the exam · Coastal erosion and the Kollam sand-mining belt
- Shade: West Bengal, Puducherry, Kerala, Tamil Nadu = over 40% of coast eroding (NCCR)
- Mark: Alappad (9.08, 76.48), Chavara (8.97, 76.54)
- Legend: IREL and KMML mining
Draw on India's official outline (Survey of India boundary).
Way forward
- Enforce and substitute: satellite surveillance, manufactured sand, recycled construction waste, community watch over beaches.
Treating beach sand as a shared coastal defence, not a free mineral, is how India delivers SDG 14: conserving and sustainably using the oceans.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
