Coastal sand mining, whether legal or illegal, poses one of the biggest threats to our environment. Analyze the impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts, citing specific examples.
Coastal sand mining poses a severe and multifaceted threat to India's fragile coastal ecosystems. Its impacts are devastating and often irreversible.
First, it directly causes coastal erosion. Sand acts as a natural barrier against wave action. Its removal starves beaches of sediment, leading to shoreline retreat and endangering coastal communities, a phenomenon acutely visible along the coasts of Kerala.
Second, it leads to loss of biodiversity. Mining destroys the habitats of intertidal organisms and damages nesting grounds for endangered species like the Olive Ridley turtles on the coasts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Third, it triggers saline water intrusion. Over-extraction of sand from coastal riverbeds and beaches lowers the water table, allowing seawater to contaminate freshwater aquifers, rendering groundwater unfit for drinking and agriculture in many parts of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Finally, it weakens the coast's natural defense against tsunamis and storm surges, increasing vulnerability to disasters.
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Important Questions from GS3
Examine the pattern and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reforms period in India. To what extent this has been in consonance with achieving the objective of inclusive growth?
What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation.
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What were the factors responsible for the successful implementation of land reforms in some parts of the country? Elaborate.
