Sand Mining

About Sand Mining

• Sand mining is the extraction of sand from various sources, such as rivers, beaches, and seabeds, for use in construction, manufacturing, and other industries.
• It is a minor mineral under Section 3(e) of the MMDR Act.

Minor Minerals

• According to MMDR Act, 1957 “Minor Minerals” means building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, ordinary sand other than sand used for prescribed purposes, and any other Central Govt notified mineral.
• The Center has the power to notify “minor minerals” under MMDR Act, 1957.
  • India has 86 minor minerals out of which 31 were added in 2015.
• The power to frame laws for minor minerals is entirely delegated to State Govts.
• Andhra Pradesh tops in the value of minor minerals produced in India followed by Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UP.

Major Minerals

• Major minerals are those which are specified in the first schedule of the MMDR Act 1957
  • The common major minerals are Lignite, Coal, Uranium, iron ore, gold etc.
• There is no official definition for “major minerals” in the MMDR Act. Hence, whatever is not declared as a “minor mineral” may be treated as a major mineral.
• The power to frame law for major minerals is dealt with by the Ministry of Mines under the Union Government.

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