The Malvan Marine Sanctuary threatened by sand extraction at Mochemaad
Mochemaad is right across Goa’s borders in Maharashtra. ButGoa is the unfortunate “recipient” of the greed of a few who are destroying itsmangroves and its coastline. A license to dredge Sawantwadi’s Mochemaad Creekby the Maharashtra Government has been misused as a license to illegallyextract sand from the coast by the mining mafia. Worse, the localadministration is itself a part of this mindless trade that has powerfulpoliticians and criminals ganging up to even clear the area of its rich coverof exotic mangrove species. A large part of this sand makes its way toconstruction sites in southern Maharashtra and neighbouring Goa.
Documents with The Goan reveal that sand extraction atMochemaad Creek had been granted approval since Aug 30, 2011 not as mining butdredging by the Collector (Sindhudurg). But the dredging itself does not havethe sanction or a No Objection Certification from the concerned Gram Panchayatof Mochemaad. Sanjay Chandrakant Kubal, Gram Sevak, Mochemaad said “we have nosurvey report of sand dredging”.
Yet Hatpatis, or canoes, in the area have been going beyondclearing the waterways. They are digging up the bottom of the creek, uprootingmangroves and violating all environmental norms. Shockingly, the creek wheresand is being extracted for falls in CRZ I area. Sand extraction from CRZ Iarea is banned in law. Inspite of this, the sand excavation began. Truckloadsof sand clandestinely were ferried away. The District Administration played animportant role in letting this mindless destruction carry on unabated.
Sindhudurg Collector Virendra Singh’s office claimed thatNOC was granted for dredging activities but that no Environmental ImpactAssessment was carried out. The Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management(ICMAM) programme of India’s Department for Ocean Development (DOD), 11ecologically and economically critical habitats have been identified alongIndia’s west and east coast. Sindhudrug is one of these 11 areas, on the basisof its biodiversity value.
The sand extraction activites sanctioned by Collector Singhdoes not have any environmental clearance of any kind. Interestingly, theMaharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority had instructed DivisionalCommissioner, Konkan and Collector (Sindhudurg) Singh to immediately stop destructionof the forests but Singh failed to act on it. It was in the face of severepressure from Konkan Divisional Commissioner that Collector Singh decided totake cognizance. A report by SDO sealed the fact and on April 12, 2012;Collector Singh stopped sand dredging activities in Mochemaad Creek. Illegalsand extraction resumed the next day.
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, popularly known asMadhav Gadgil Committee has included Sawantwadi in the most vulnerable,Eco-Sensitive Zone I. It has even recommended an indefinite moratorium on newlicences for quarrying and sand mining. Yet, Sindhudurg is more keen oncleaning up the pristine coast off its exotic mangrove cover and sand dunesthat attract tourists both of the human and avian kind. Mochemaad is beingkilled by its’ own administration itself.
