Ban On Black Sand Mining In Philippines. Vaikundarajan Explains Why ?

In Philippines, a group of environment supporters in the Vigan City have called for a ban on magnetite and black sand mining in the country. “A move like this can strength the environment safety campaign in Philippines,” says Vaikundarajan, founder of VV Minerals India, a leading sand beach mining company.

The bill was proposed seeking to prevent companies from the taking the advantage of improper guidelines in mining and facilitate illegal activities causing a harm to the environment. This disruption in environment can cause grievances to people’s lives and their livelihood. “Hence, the government must have safeguards in place to stop companies from abusing dredging permits,” adds Vaikundarajan.

Meanwhile, all black sand mining operations in Ilocos Sur has been declared illegal by Environment Undersecretary Leo Jasareno. Several raids have been conducted to dismantle illegal activities in San Vicente and Caoayan towns in Ilocos Sur.

“Black sand extraction is the common payment mechanism for the services of dredging operators. The problem lies with the local government who issues the service contract to the companies. These contract allow the firms to extract minerals and disrupt major rivers in the region,” explains Vaikundarajan. 

Imposing the ban is not the only solution. Those involved in the illegal activities must also be tracked down and brought to justice. 

Government Is Doing Its Best To Curb Illegal Mining Activities, Says Vaikundarajan

The recent rise in the illegal mining activities has put the government on its toes. Several measures are being taken by the government to curb the illegal activities. “Recently, the government announced the launch of new technology to help officials track the illegal mining activities,” says Vaikundarajan, founder of VV Minerals India.

In another incident surrounding the illegal activities, some activists in Tamil Nadu have filed a complaint with a video to support the claims. “The site in question is a quarry on the banks of Cauvery river in Karur licensed by the state government. The activists have claimed that the quarry is being used over its assigned capacity,” informs Vaikundarajan.

The activists have been in action since June 2016 having started a movement called Tamil Nadu Environmental Protection Movement. The complaint has been filed with the collector’s office, District Revenue Officer and the mining department.

According to the video, several trucks are seen carrying the sand every day from the banks of the river. The activists claim that the government has permitted sand up to one metre but the trucks have been taking about 7 to 8 metres.

“The concern of local is justified as in Karur, a lot of chemicals from various industries have plagued the rivers. The Noyyal river has been declared dead and if the illegal mining activities continue, soon the Cauvery could also face the same fate,” explains Vaikundarajan.

Over 30,000 people are dependent on the river for drinking water. Illegal activities can hamper the irrigation facilities of farmers. Vaikundarajan suggests, “Government is taking this matter seriously and has put up a plan in place under the Digital India Programme. The locals and activists should put their faith in the government till the plan is put to effect.”