Kerala bans sand mining from River Chandragiri

Kerala government has decided to impose total ban on sand mining from Chandragiri river in Kasargod for the next three years.

The government's decision was based on the report of river bank mapping and sand river auditing conducted as per rules stipulated in the Kerala River Bank Protection and Regulation of Removal of Sand Rules.

According to sand auditing report, total quantity of sand above the summer water level in the river is estimated to be nil.

The sand auditing report had stressed the need for protecting the banks of river Chandragiri.

The sand river auditing report, conducted by different agencies, was compiled by
Departments of Environmental Sciences, Aquatic Biology and Fisheries and University of Kerala.

The river which takes its birth in Kodagu flows through Sullia-Delampady-Karadka-Muliyar, Bedadka-Chengala-Chemnadu-Kasargod before joining Arabean sea.

The 105-km long river is the source of water from Kasargod town, Muliyar, Mogralputhur, Madhur, Chengala gram panchayats.

The ban on sand mining will give a break to the illegal sand mining which was being carried out on the banks of river at several places in Kasargod.