India's sand demand tripled between 2000 and 2017. The government tries to keep a firm lid on things with the Mines and Minerals Act. But where there's demand, unscrupulous folks will find a way to meet it through illicit means. In Bihar alone, the average revenue loss goes up to 700 crore rupees a year.
A few days ago, Bihar reported clashes between a sand mafia group and officials from the state’s Mines and Geology Department. And the thing is... We keep seeing such reports day in and day out. So in today’s episode for 24th April 2023, we thought we could deconstruct the problem of illegal sand mining in India.