Sand mining in Tamil Nadu - Wikipedia
Sand mining, especially illegal sand mining in Tamil Nadu state is done on river beds, basins and beaches, It has been on an increase, since the beginning of the 1990s following a boom in the construction industry. Palar River basin, Vaigai River basin, Cauvery River basin (including its tributaries) and Thamirabarani River basin are some of the most affected regions. Illegal quarrying is happening in these areas in broad daylight.[1] Though as per Tamil Nadu Public Works Department, 5,500-6,000 truck loads of 200 cubic ft. of sand is mined each day, in reality this figure is estimated to be around 55,000 truckloads of 400 cubic ft. of sand per day.[2] In 2013, illegal sand mining in the state was estimated to be worth ₹15,000 crore (US$1.9 billion).[3] This also results in the state exchequer losing over ₹19,800 crore (US$2.5 billion) in revenue.[2] River sand mining began in the state as a small scale unorganised activity in the 1980s. It quickly began to boom in late 1980s and the b
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