Kerala’s coastal regions are up in arms against the Union government’s urgent decision to conduct offshore sand mining with private sector collaboration. This is being done under the provisions of an amended version of the Offshore Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002.
Environmentalists and fishing community members believe that the Centre is attempting to carry out offshore sand mining without considering the livelihoods and environmental concerns of the state, which has a coastline that spans 570 kilometres. In addition to civil society movements, the state government strongly objected to the Centre’s actions.
Sand deposits
Sand deposits are located within Indian territorial waters, extending up to 12 nautical miles from the coast and in the exclusive economic zone beyond that distance. Experts from the Marine and Coastal Surveys Division of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have been surveying the territorial waters off Kerala since 1985.
The Centre’s latest actions are based on a recent study conducted by the GSI. The GSI reported a significant amount of construction-grade sand resources in various locations off Ponnani, Chavakkad, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Kollam, at water depths ranging from 22 to 45 metres.
The recovered sand is of good quality and grade, with sand percentages in the sediment varying from 80 per cent to 96 per cent. The clay content in the sediment ranges from 4 per cent to 20 per cent. The sand consists of fine, medium, and coarse grains
The explorations showed that the sand found in these deposits originated from rivers. Initially angular, the sand became rounded to sub-rounded due to marine activities. It can be extracted and used for construction after the excess salt content (which should be below 0.075 per cent) is removed through repeated washing.
Consequently, the Union government is now planning to auction blocks containing these mineral resources by the provisions of the 2002 Act. According to GSI officials, the estimated deposits of 750 million tonnes can sustain construction requirements of 30 million metric tonnes per year in Kerala for nearly 25 years.
The first phase of sand extraction will focus on the Ponnani, Chavakkad, Alappuzha, Kollam North, and Kollam South sectors. In the second phase, the extraction will be expanded to other state coastal areas where rivers flow into the sea.
‘Opposed to move’
But the Centre’s move has drawn opposition from various quarters. The state government pointed out that the norms and provisions of the Offshore Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act of 2002, along with the amendments made in 2023, do not consider the interests of the states.
The royalties from mining mineral resources are entirely assigned to the central government. The 2023 amendment has also permitted private sector involvement in the mining industry.
Principal Secretary of Industries A P M Mohammed Hanish communicated the Kerala government’s position on this issue during a roadshow organised by the Union Ministry of Mines in Kochi last week, with the inaugural e-auction of offshore mineral blocks. This information was provided in a statement from Industries Minister P Rajeeve’s office.
Environmentalists contend that extensive extraction could undermine the region’s natural coastal defences and significantly damage marine life.
The Kannur-based Green Kerala Movement has strongly condemned the Centre’s actions and is calling for an immediate halt to the project, citing significant ecological and social repercussions.
According to Charles George, a leader among fish workers in Kochi, the project’s significant scale has not been accompanied by a thorough assessment of its ecological impact. He stressed that critical studies regarding the impact on the coastal ecosystem, marine biodiversity, fish populations, and the livelihoods of coastal residents have not been addressed. George warned that sand mining threatens the fisheries sector and rivers’ already fragile dynamics.
In the past, offshore mining required joint inspections by the GSI, the Indian Bureau of Mines, and the Atomic Minerals Directorate. However, the amended Act allows private companies to participate in this industry, raising concerns about potential unchecked exploitation and a lack of transparency.
“Conducting mining activities without a thorough impact study disrupts the ecological balance of the region and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen,” stated T V Rajan from the Green Kerala Movement. “This action is a disaster waiting to unfold, and we urge the central government to abandon this initiative immediately.”
GSI officials have remained silent when asked about the earlier promise made by the Government of India, which was exploring the potential of marine resources and committed to conducting a thorough impact assessment before any mining activities commenced. Now, they don’t see any assessment being carried out.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC), of which almost 98 per cent of members are fish workers, has allied with various groups, including fishers’ unions, to demand that the Union government abandon its plan to mine minerals from the sea off the Kerala coast. They argue that sea mining will harm the coastal ecosystem and jeopardise fishers’ livelihoods.
KRLCC, representing the interests of coastal residents and fishermen, noted that the government has put forward 13 blocks for sea mining, three located off the Kollam coast. A tender announced by the government on November 28 of last year indicated that 242 square kilometres would be opened for sea mining. Estimates suggest that sand suitable for construction can be extracted from this area.
The Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedhi stated that fishers are compelled to engage in public protests against sea mining. The organisation recently staged a protest outside a meeting addressing the issue.
According to the group’s claims, the Centre has set a deadline of February 18 for companies to submit expressions of interest for the project. The tender process is expected to conclude on February 27. Five blocks off the Kerala coast could yield approximately 275 million tonnes of sea sand, while the Kollam coast alone has the potential for 300 million tonnes.
The Vedhi pointed out that Kerala’s fishermen have continually protested against sea mining initiatives. In 2003, they opposed a similar proposal at the Global Investor Meet and again in 2017 at the Emerging Kerala Meet.
The fishermen’s union has warned that if the government proceeds with the sea mining project, it will likely incite strong protests from affected communities along the coast. Recently, the local fishing community in Kochi organised a protest against the Union Ministry of Mines’ plan to auction coastal and offshore mining sites in Kerala.
All India Trade Union Congress state president T J Angelos stated that sea mining violates the rights of the state’s fishermen and would devastate Kerala’s ecological balance and biodiversity. He emphasised that the fishing community has consistently opposed such measures since 2003. Angelos also criticised the central government’s appropriation of state authority through its blue economy agenda, arguing that it undermines federalism.