Mumbai: As part of efforts to curb illegal sand mining, the state govt will soon roll out a sand policy—a first for the state—under which supply will be based on demand, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said in the assembly on Thursday.
Through the policy, govt will also push for the use of artificial or stone-crushed sand, also known as M-sand, to construct public buildings and projects. River sand will be made available for private housing projects and repair works. “To reduce the dependence on river sand, we will provide subsidies to M-sand manufacturers and set up around 50-100 stone crushing units,” said Bawankule.
Under the policy, tehsildars will be held accountable if they do not allocate sand to beneficiaries in 15 days, and poor people constructing homes will receive five brass of sand for free. Brass is used to quantify the volume of materials like sand, gravel or rubble in 100sqft. Also, traditional methods of sand mining will not require permits.
“We have studied the sand policies of various states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh and drafted a policy,” said Bawankule, adding that the draft policy will be tabled before the cabinet in the next few days. He said the draft policy has received over 250 suggestions and objections since being placed in the public domain, and hearings have been conducted.
Sand mining in India, is primarily regulated by Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, with state/UT govts having administrative control. In Feb 2024, the state govt had proposed setting up sand depots in every tehsil, to be overseen by the local revenue official, and providing sand on a no-profit, no-loss basis. But multiple complaints from citizens that this would only benefit developers prompted a reassessment. The draft policy proposes allowing unauctioned blocks in a gram panchayat to be made available for local consumption.
Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh said the sand mafia has wreaked havoc along the coastline, from Colaba to Uttan. “Excessive sand extraction has severely damaged beaches, making them unfit for tourists to walk on. Govt must take the strictest action against the sand mafia. The ports department must survey the beaches affected by sand extraction and take immediate steps to restore them by replenishing the sand.”