Thiruvananthapuram: State govt on Wednesday said it will examine complaints related to mineral sand mining at Thottappally spillway and appoint an expert committee to conduct an audit of black sand mining and assess its environmental impact.Replying to a submission by independent MLA G Sudhakaran in the assembly, chief minister V D Satheesan said a water resources department order issued on May 31, 2009, had authorised Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd (KMML), Chavara, to remove sand accumulated at the spillway mouth before monsoon to ensure smooth flow of water.Chief minister said a meeting convened in the chamber of Alappuzha district collector on June 1 decided that the ordinary sand left after separating mineral sand from the material dredged from the spillway would be used to fill geotubes for construction of sea walls at Chellanam.He said govt receives royalty in advance from the processing and sale of mineral sand removed from the spillway. KMML has paid more than Rs 8.70 crore as royalty, while Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL), a central public sector undertaking, has paid Rs 4.71 crore.Satheesan said widespread complaints had been raised regarding mining activities and that govt would examine them and take appropriate action. “Govt will examine issues raised by the member very seriously and take urgent action. If any irregularities have occurred in the sand mined by central and state public sector undertakings, those will also be investigated. An expert committee will be appointed to conduct an audit of black sand mining. Committee will also assess where black sand can be collected and whether such mining could cause environmental problems in regions such as Upper Kuttanad,” he said.
