New Delhi, Nov. 11 -- The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has suggested preparing a time-bound roadmap to phase out unsustainable sand extraction from active river channels over the next three years.
The committee, a statutory body since 2023 and originally formed in 2002 on the apex court's order, has also recommended developing sustainable alternative sources of sand and aggregates to progressively reduce dependence on extraction from active river channels.
For this, it has suggested scientific desiltation of dams and reservoirs and recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, among other measures.
These recommendations are part of the CEC's report submitted to the Supreme Court on November 2 as part of a sou motu case related to illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary.
In its report, the CEC observes that while sand and gravel are crucial ingredients for infrastructure and construction, their unscientific or excessive extraction from active channels and floodplains disrupts the delicate dynamic balance of river systems.
"The impacts inter alia include riverbed degradation and infrastructure vulnerability, depletion of groundwater and loss of aquifers, destruction of aquatic and riparian habitats, and alteration of river morphology and hydrology, etc," said the committee.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.