In Kerala, there has been a significant increase in sand mining since the
beginning of the 1990s following a boom in the construction industry, and the activity
reached alarming proportions in several areas, particularly in the southern and western
regions of the State, after court restrictions on sand mining came into effect in
neighbouring Kerala in 1994. Similarly River Bharathapuzha in Kerala has become a
victim of indiscriminate sand mining. “Despite numerous prohibitions and regulations,
sand mining continues rapidly on the riverbed of the Bharathapuzha. Water tables have
dropped dramatically and a land once known for its plentiful rice harvest now faces
scarcity of water. In the villages and towns around the river, groundwater levels have
fallen drastically and wells are almost perennially dry.