Sand being one of the essential elements which determine the overall cost of production is illegally mined at higher level. Real estate constructions in Noida now depend highly on this illegal sand mining .

Illegal Sand Mining in India causes environment troubles.

High pace developments taking place in the real estate industry causes high level land looting and illegal sand mining in Noida. Illegally mined sand is carried on to the construction sites on tractors. This has become a very common sight these days in Noida and Noida Extension.   

A senior police official explained that the nearby villages of Noida Sector 79 and Sector-113 Noida are suspected highly for illegal sand mining. These villages are close to many upcoming residential projects. Noida extension, one of the vastly developing sites, also lies in close proximity to these villages.

Officials opined that open pits are the primary sources of sand mining in Noida. Larger level of sand extraction will cause many environmental issues. Soil erosion is one such bigger problem. This will lead to ecological collapse of Noida as the area will lose nutrient-rich upper layers of soil.

The Authority has not taken any serious measures to check illegal sand mining. Illegal sand mining has a political face now as this is turned out as a means to reduce construction cost of building which is rather higher these days, said the official.

Pointing to the similar issue occurred at Konkan Coast, Dinesh Saha, a Noida based environmentalist said that this will what befall on Noida as well. He pointed to the fact that the ecological balance was almost lost before the environmentalists spread awareness.

Mr. Saha continued to say that this same kind of awareness is required in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Noida.

Sand is a major element of construction. Thus the rate of sand affects the overall cost of production. If the sand is less costly then the entire construction cost is to be less. This is what the real estate-developers look at.

Police sources reveal that the illegal sand mining is not only taking place in Noida villages which are hotter beds for residential projects and developments. The Yamuna river banks are sources for illegal sand mining.

From Kalindi Kunj where Yamuna enters Noida, to Khaadar the banks of Yamuna have been illegally mined for sand. Figures show that nearly 2000 acres of land have been mined along the river.

An official said that only four companies are given the Mining license. They are Okhla Sand Supply Company, Oriental Company, National Sand Supply Company and Vaibhav Bhatia.

Earlier the police had taken various steps to stop sand mining. They had even started a special ‘mining squad’. All these were made to calm down the higher pressure from the environmentalists. Neither the police nor their squads remain capable of tackling this great issue.