Sand mining shaves 10ft off Alibaug beach
NGO, residents urge government to take action; tahsildar feigns ignorance.
Following a drop of 10 feet in the elevation of a stretch of beach between Alibaug’s Kihim and Awas due to illegal sand mining, an NGO has taken up the cause of saving the beach by approaching all and sundry with pictures as evidence of the fall in beach profile.
Sumaira Abdulali of the Awaaz Foundation has already written to Sheetal Ugale, the collector of Raigad district, urging her to take immediate action.
She also sent photographs of land reclamation on the opposite side of the creek. Erosion caused by sand mining and illegal reclamation has resulted in a drop of nearly 10 feet in the height of the beach as well as loss of land. A number of trees, including coconut trees and others, have fallen.
The change in tidal patterns, spurred by the massive amounts of sand being illegally removed from the area, have had harmful effects at Kihim and are posing a threat to local properties, Abdulali alleged.
She urged the collector to station police in the area and to take note of satellite images to hold any change in landscape along the beach accountable.
An Alibag resident backed Abdulai’s claim and said, “Illegal sand mining is happening along the entire stretch from Kihim to Mandwa bunder. I have my place at Digodi, where 70 per cent of the sand has been removed, leaving only rocks and debris. This administration just talks and gobbles money to protect the culprits who are politically strong. Mumbai’s rich people are also at fault as they are building huge mansions at the cost of chopping huge trees and mango orchards without any care for CRZ regulations or the environment.”
However, Alibag Tahsildar Prashant Sakpal said that he was not aware of sand theft in the area. “I will check on it on Thursday,” he said.
Following a drop of 10 feet in the elevation of a stretch of beach between Alibaug’s Kihim and Awas due to illegal sand mining, an NGO has taken up the cause of saving the beach by approaching all and sundry with pictures as evidence of the fall in beach profile.
Sumaira Abdulali of the Awaaz Foundation has already written to Sheetal Ugale, the collector of Raigad district, urging her to take immediate action.
She sent pictures to the collector that showed how sand was stolen from Kihim and Awas beaches. “Extensive sand mining takes place at these two locations every morning, resulting in drastic changes to the topography of the area,” Abdulali said.
She also sent photographs of land reclamation on the opposite side of the creek. Erosion caused by sand mining and illegal reclamation has resulted in a drop of nearly 10 feet in the height of the beach as well as loss of land. A number of trees, including coconut trees and others, have fallen.
The change in tidal patterns, spurred by the massive amounts of sand being illegally removed from the area, have had harmful effects at Kihim and are posing a threat to local properties, Abdulali alleged.
She urged the collector to station police in the area and to take note of satellite images to hold any change in landscape along the beach accountable.
An Alibag resident backed Abdulai’s claim and said, “Illegal sand mining is happening along the entire stretch from Kihim to Mandwa bunder. I have my place at Digodi, where 70 per cent of the sand has been removed, leaving only rocks and debris. This administration just talks and gobbles money to protect the culprits who are politically strong. Mumbai’s rich people are also at fault as they are building huge mansions at the cost of chopping huge trees and mango orchards without any care for CRZ regulations or the environment.”
However, Alibag Tahsildar Prashant Sakpal said that he was not aware of sand theft in the area. “I will check on it on Thursday,” he said.
