Removing sand from river beds is good business. A lorry full of sand can bring in Rs 4,000. But it is also bad ecology.In Karur district, Tamil Nadu, sand mining from the Cauvery bed has affected 15 lift irrigation schemes in Mayanur, while the water level in 300 agricultural wells in Kattalai has gone down drastically.Once sand is removed and rock exposed, sedimentation reduces and the water volume goes down. While only a metre's depth of sand is allowed to be removed, mechanised excavators dig up to 1.3 m.But Tamil Nadu may only be the tip of the iceberg. Indiscriminate sand mining seems to be creating more havoc across India than anybody cares to admit.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Jun 8, 1998--- ENDS ---
