Uttar Pradesh

• 18 May 2024

Illegal Mining on Yamuna Banks

Why in News?

In a joint raid against sand mining mafia the mining department and Loni administration seized earthmovers, trucks, and trolleys from the Yamuna banks in Loni’s Pachera.

Key Points

• A section of land spanning 15 kilometers in Loni along the Yamuna river, encompassing Pachaira, Badarpur, and Nauraspur villages, has been rented out for sand mining.
• The illegal sand mining was happening 1.5km away from the leased 48-acre land in Pachera, which has been rented for a 5-year term.
• To ensure sustainable river sand mining, it is vital to refill the mine pits created during sand extraction through the natural process of replenishment within an appropriate time frame.
  • Illegal deep excavations often occur in sensitive locations along the riverbank, resulting in the formation of deep pits.
• In 2023, flooding in the Loni area caused significant damage, partly due to the deep pits left by illegal sand mining activities along the Yamuna river.

Yamuna River

• About: The Yamuna River is one of the major tributaries of the Ganges in Northern India.
  • It forms an integral part of the Yamuna-Ganga Plain, one of the world's most extensive alluvial plains.
• Source: It has its source in the Yamunotri Glacier at an elevation of 6,387 meters on the southwestern sides of Banderpooch crests in the lower Himalayan ranges.
• Basin: It meets the Ganges at the Sangam (where Kumbh mela is held) in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh after flowing through Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.
• Important Dam: Lakhwar-Vyasi Dam (Uttarakhand), Tajewala Barrage Dam (Haryana) etc.
• Important Tributaries: Chambal, Sindh, Betwa and Ken.
• Government Initiatives Related to Yamuna River:
  • Yamuna Action Plan
  • Delhi Government’s Six-Point Action Plan to Clean Yamuna by February 2025

Sand Mining

• Sand mining is defined as the removal of primary natural sand and sand resources (mineral sands and aggregates) from the natural environment (terrestrial, riverine, coastal, or marine) for extracting valuable minerals, metals, crushed stone, sand and gravel for subsequent processing.
• This activity, driven by various factors, poses serious threats to ecosystems and communities.