Kavya raises illegal sand mining issue in Parliament

Hanumakonda: Duringa question-and-answer session in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Dr. Kadiyam Kavya raised concerns about the impact of illegal sand mining in the erstwhile Warangal district. In response, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), represented by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, addressed the issue.

The MP highlighted the environmental damage occurring along the Godavari riverbanks and questioned the Central government about the steps taken in this regard. She sought explanations whether any studies had been conducted on the environmental impact of illegal sand mining, the current status of forest restoration projects under the Green India Mission (GIM), protection measures for the Pakhal Lake Wildlife Sanctuary from encroachments and pollution and the allocation of funds in previous and current years for development of ecotourism in the Warangal forest areas.

In his reply, Yadav confirmed that a study on the impact of illegal sand mining along the Godavari riverbanks had been completed. He stated that the government was providing policy and technical support to assist the State government initiatives. To regulate sand mining, he mentioned the release of the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines (SSMMG) in 2016 and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining (EMGSM) in 2020.

Regarding forest expansion under GIM) the minister noted that the State government had not yet submitted its proposal. Nevertheless, some projects were being implemented in Warangal district. In reference to protection of wildlife sanctuary, he explained the Central actions based on information provided by the Forest department. These actions include restoring encroached lands, registering cases under the Telangana Forest Act of 1967, planting saplings on reclaimed lands, preventing illegal entry into forests and establishing strict patrolling to stop wildlife hunting. He also said awareness programmes have been launched to prevent encroachments and poaching and the use of plastic around the Pakhal Lake has been banned.

Under the Green Fund scheme, ₹274 lakh was allocated for restoration of Pakhal lake. Water samples from the lake are tested monthly under the supervision of the Telangana State Pollution Control Board. Guidelines for ecotourism in forest and wildlife areas were released in 2021.