K.C. Venugopal urges Centre to roll back offshore sand mining plan

All India Congress Committee general secretary K.C. Venugopal, MP has urged the Centre to revoke its decision to conduct offshore sand mining along the Kerala coast.

In a letter sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader noted that the Union government’s move to auction sand blocks for offshore mining in five sectors — Kollam South, Kollam North, Alappuzha, Ponnani and Chavakkad — would have an “alarming impact on the fragile coastal ecosystems, local fisheries and livelihoods of coastal communities”.

Mr. Venugopal, who is also the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, said that the extraction of coastal sand would lead to severe environmental degradation causing accelerated beach erosion, disturbing the delicate balance of coastal ecosystems and resulting in the loss of biodiversity.

He said the urgency shown by the Ministry of Mines in inviting tenders for offshore sand mining had caused widespread concern among the local fishing community. “The proposed mining operations risk disrupting the breeding grounds and migratory patterns of fish, directly affecting the livelihoods of communities that depend on fishing for their economic survival. The traditional fishing practices, deeply ingrained in Kerala’s coastal culture, would face an existential threat as these mining activities jeopardise the marine ecosystem,” reads the letter.

Mr. Venugopal urged the Prime Minister to “analyse the environmental and social impacts of the proposed coastal offshore mining in Kerala and recall the proposal so that the ecological integrity of coastal regions is not compromised.”