Port Blair, Dec 7: The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Govt. of India had issued a Notification in August, 2013 restricting the quantity of sea sand to the extent of 22,581 cum. to be extracted from the identified and approved non-eco sensitive sites with adequate environmental safeguards in Andaman & Nicobar Islands on the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. The Institute of Ocean Management (IOM), Chennai was entrusted with the responsibility of survey and identification of sea sand accreting sites and its availability in the A & N Islands. As the import of sand is cost prohibitive, the people in the Islands were facing lot of hardship in taking up construction activities.
After great persuasion by the A&N Administration, the IOM, Chennai submitted partial report to the Ministry and the Ministry accordingly approved sand extraction from non-eco sensitive sites identified by IOM in Hutbay, Diglipur and Middle Andaman to the extent of 10,745 cum.
The Department has allocated this approved quantum of sand to the extent of 10,745 cum to various divisions for release to the public. The sea sand extraction and allotment from the rest of the areas in the non eco-sensitive zones will be made after survey by the Institute of Ocean Management, Chennai and approval by the MoEF&CC.
The IOM team is expected to visit the Islands next week to carry out survey in the remaining areas and submit its report to the Ministry for approval of balance permissible quantity of sea sand which can be allowed for extraction in the Islands, said the Deputy Conservator of Forest (Planning and Monitoring) in an official release.
