Impacts of river sand mining

Abstract

Mining of sand manifold higher than natural replenishments leads to severe damages to river systems. The mining process not only intercepts movement of sediments along the river channels, but disturbs the sediment balance established in the system over the geological time periods. Indiscriminate sand mining imposes several adverse impacts on the various environmental subcomponents of river ecosystems like bed forms, sediment milieu, water quality and quantity, flora and fauna, and socio-economic conditions of the people in the long run. The magnitude of these impacts depends on several factors such as type and scale of sand extraction, channel morphology, sediment transport processes and induced alterations in watershed characteristics. A better understanding of these impacts is very essential for formulating appropriate strategies for ameliorating and negating the impacts of river sand mining.