The mining industry in India is a major economic activity which contributes significantly to the economy of India.. As of 2012, India is the largest producer of sheet mica, 2015 the fourth largest producer of iron ore, alumina, chromite, and bauxite in the world. A coal and iron ore project is in the fifth largest reserve in world. India's metal and mining industry was estimated to be $106.4 In India, the Ministry of Forests and the Environment (MoEF) has formulated guidelines on sand mining for both riverbeds and coastal areas (Coastal Regulation Zone, 2010; MoEF Notification, 2010). The Ministry of Mines is also mandated to govern sand mining. The general guidelines for sand and gravel mining are as follows:- a) Parts of the river reaches that experience deposition or aggradation shall be identified first. Operators may be allowed to extract the sand and gravel deposit in these locations to lessen aggradation problem. The effects of sand and gravel mining are as follows: a) Extraction of bed material in excess of replenishment by transport from upstream causes the bed to lower (degrade) upstream and downstream of the site of removal. b) In-stream habitat is impacted by increase in river gradient, suspended load, sediment transport and sediment deposition. According to the Geological Survey of India's guidelines titled, Impacts and Methodology of Systematic and Scientific Mining in the river bed material, there are seven major hazards of sand and gravel extraction. These broadly include the impact on the in-stream flora and fauna and vegetative cover, riverbed erosion, degradation and pollution of groundwater, lowering of groundwater table and Creating Markets, Creating Opportunities Sand mining: consumption trends Sand mining is a ubiquitous activity Global construction industry is based on cheap sand Local activity -cost linked to transportation Local governance frequently poor Illegal extraction reported in over 70 countries Estimated up to 50 billion tonnes of aggregate • Obstruction in river flow • Mining is to be done leaving safety barrier or /course. offset on both sides and maximum barrier • Erosion of channel bed and should be on concave side of river preferably banks. the flow channel (excavation void created) LAND ENVIRONMENT • Increase in channel slope. should be kept straight so as to help avoid The author researched the fiercely contested landscape around sand mining in India through a case study of three villages in the state of Maharashtra for her Master's thesis in 2011. In late September 2010, the Mumbai High Court issued a blanket ban on sand dredging (including by those who had licenses) in the state for want of a comprehensive policy around it. The court observed that the Sand & Mining Thane. A) Various Applications. 1. Application form for permission of excavation of sand from river bed and required Documents to be attached with the application form (PDF - 37KB) 2. Application Proforma and required documents for permission of excavation of sand from the Gulf Line (PDF - 33KB) 3. The directions given by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India vide order dated 27.02.2012 in Deepak Kumar case [SLP(C) Nos. 19628-19629 of 2009] and order dated 05.08.2013 of the Hon'ble National Green Tribunal in application No. 171/2013 may be strictly followed. 7 : All the provisions made and restrictions imposed as covered in the Minor Mineral Rule, shall be complied with, particularly Bagchi (2010) exposed illegal sand mining going on in In