Kerala of Govt. SAND AUDITING REPORT Kabani River, Wayanad (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY) Submitted to Department of Revenue and Disaster Management Kerala Report prepared by of Ferns Naturalists’ Society, Mananthavady, Wayanad Govt. April 2015 1 Project Team Arun P.A (Principal Investigator) Luqumanul Hakeem.E (Research Assistant) Neeraja K.S (Technical supervision) Arun E.V (Field Coordinator) Ajayan P.A (Field Assistant) Shaji NYP (Field Assistant) Aslam K (Field assistant) Yunais M.P (Field assistant) Munavar K (Field assistant) Ashrak K.C (Field assistant) Robinson Mathew (Computer) Dilnavas Roshan (Programmer) Jaseel (Technical Assistant) Shyam Krishnan (Technical assistant) Hamdulla A.I (Technical assistant) Vinu Bastin Vargheese (Computer) Aneesh V.K. (Field assistant) Sreedharsh J (Field assistant) Kerala of Govt. 2 Acknowledgements We thank former Additional Chief Secretaries Dr. Niveditha P. Haran and Mrs. Valsalakumari, Scientists in NCESS Dr. Sreekumar Chatopadyay, Sri John Mathai and Sri. Madusudhanan, the Co-ordinator of River Management Cell for their coordination efforts in the Sand Auditing Work. We are really thankful for the critical views of Mr. Shaji Johnson (GIS Specialist, River Management Cell) and Mrs. Saniya N (Geographer, River Management Cell) on this work, which helped us in this sand auditing works in field. We are exceedingly grateful to Mr. Saji Bomman and team for their immense cooperation in this work. Without their support, this study would have not been possible. We would wish to thank Mr. John & Team for their active presence in the field. We would also like to thank all members of the River Research Centre and Chalkudy Puzha Samrakshana Samiti, especially Rajaneesh, Sreevidya, Zabna, Denni Chalakkudi, Vanchiswaran, Dr A. Latha, S. Unnikrishnan and S.P.Ravi. We would be extremely thankful to Dr. Abey George and Jyothi Krishnan from Tata Institute of Social Sciences for their co operation with us. We are also grateful to all the River Bank Mapping team who has taken part in the study. We are also taking this time to express our gratitude towards Prateesh K R, Ambika V D, and Mr. Jose & Family who have kept our field materials including boat safe in their houses near the River. It would not be fine if we are not expressing thanks to our friends Firos Khan P.H and Thomas Xavier for their extreme support during the field work. Last but not the least we thank all the people who had taken some efforts in the sand auditing work from the initial period till the submission of the sand auditing report. ARUN P.A Programme Coordinator Ferns Naturalists Society, Mananthavady, Wayanad Kerala of Govt. 3 SL NO CONTENT PAGE NO 1 Part 1: Sand auditing report 6-12 2 Introduction 6 3 Sand mining –Global scenario 6 4 Sand mining in India 6-7 5 Sand mining in Kerala 7 6 Sand auditing programme in Kerala 7 7 Methodology and guidelines adopted for sand auditing process of Kabani river, Wayanad 7 8 Aim of sand auditing 7 9 Methodology and guidelines 7 10 Phase I-Resource estimation 7-8 11 Resource estimation 9 12 Prohibited areas 9 13 Resource Allocation 9 14 Map of Kabani River Basin, Wayanad 9 15 Performance evaluation or Sand resource accounting 10 16 Kabani River- Geographical appraisal 10 17 Kabani River and sand auditing 11 18 Salient findings Kerala 12 19 Table: 1 Distance covered in the survey and number of cross sections profiles in each village 13 20 Table: 2 List of Profiles in Kabani River &Sand Availability in Each Profile 14-16 21 Table :3Panchayath wise sand distribution Thondernaduof Panchayat h (RB) 17 22 Table 4: Panchayath wise sand distribution Thavinjal Panchayath (LB) 18 23 Table 5: Panchayath wise sand distribution Edavaka Panchayath (RB) 19 24 Table 6: Panchayath wise sand distribution Mananthavady Panchayath (LB) 20 25 Table 7: Panchayath wise sand distribution Panamaram Panchayath (RB) 21-23 26 Table 8: Panchayath wise sand distribution Pulpally Panchayath (RB) 24 27 Table 9: Panchayath wise sand distribution Thirunelli Panchayath (LB) 24 28 Part 2: Field Book,Govt. Profile and Bench Mark Details 26-134 29 Part 3: Sand distribution Maps 135-183 30 Grid Index Map 136 31 Grid 1 to 47 137-182 32 Field Photographs 183-184 33 References 185 4 PART-1 KABANI SAND AUDITINGKerala REPORT of Govt. 5 INTRODUCTION For centuries human have been enjoying the natural benefits provided by rivers without understanding much on how the river ecosystem functions and maintains its vitality (Naiman, 1992). Man has changed the nature of many of the world’s Rivers by controlling their floods, constructing impoundments (Ittekkot andLanne, 1991). Man uses River for drinking water, irrigation water, electricity generation, bath, wash, fishing, travel, waste disposal, sand extraction, etc. Among this the major dependency nowadays is for removal of sand from the river ( Padmalal D.etal.2007). Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. As waters flow, its potential energy changes into many other forms. Sedimentation is one of the process through which the water changes its energy. The size of the sediment typically changes along the length of the river system from gravel, cobbles, and bounders in steep upper reaches to sand and silts in the low gradient downstream reaches. The supply of gravel and sand is a result of many factors such as changes in land use, vegetation, climate and tectonic activity. Sand has become a very important mineral for our society due to its many uses. It can be used for making concrete, filling roads, building sites, brick- making, making glass, sandpapers, reclamations, and etc. Individuals and private companies are increasingly demanding sand for construction purposes and this has placed immense pressure on sand resources. It is a practice that is becoming an environmental issue as the demand for sand increases in industry and construction. If sand and gravel is extracted in quantities higher than the capacity of the river to replenish them, it leads to changes in its channel form, physical habitats and food webs – the river’s ecosystem. The removal of sand from the river bed increases the velocity of the flowing water; the distorted flow- regime eventually erodes the river banks. Beside these, on-site effects the off-site effects are also quite lethal. Sand acts like a sponge, which helps in recharging the water table; its progressive depletion in the river is accompanied by sinking water tables in the nearby areas, adversely impacting people’s daily lives, even their livelihood. According to Kondolf(1997), the management of sand and gravel must be done on a regional basis by restoring the continuity of sediment transport where possible and encouraging alternatives to river derived aggregate sources. Although Sand is required for development of human being, but at the same time the threats posed due to sand mining can’t be ignored. Hence decisive steps are to be taken and alternate solution to be found out for sand mining, without disturbing the environment. Even though the sand mining has a long history of extraction, it has gone unchecked for many decades in India. So this is a scientific attempt to minimize the effects of sand mining in the rivers of Kerala. Kerala Sand mining –Global scenario Most of the rivers in the world are overexploited for living and non-living resources and today the challenge posed to the society is to restore its natural ecology. Sand mining as all other mineral mining has a greatof importance in global economy. Both in developed and developing countries, sand is mostly taken from riverbeds, creeks and beaches where available because desert sand is not suitable for construction. Of the different types of fluvial systems in the world, the small rivers (catchment areas <10000 km2)are the worst affected due to indiscriminate sand mining than large rivers as the area available for dissipation of negative externalities is low in small river basins. Even though other alternative to sand is used, the demand for river sand is not reduced yet. Sand mining in India With India’s growth, the unprecedented demand for sand in order to build factories, high-rise apartments, offices, schools and basic infrastructure such as highways, runways and parkingGovt. lots is beginning to take a toll on river systems, coasts and the people who depend on them for their livelihoods. After China and the United States, India has the world’s largest construction business which accounts for 9 percent of its 2 trillion USD economy. The country plans to invest 500 billion USD in building up its infrastructure and 500 million USD has been earmarked for the construction industry alone (Lakshmi, 2012). In India, major rivers, numerous rivulets and streams all are being ravaged for their sands. Sand Mining in India is adversely affecting the rivers, sea, forests & environment. Illegal mining of Sand and the lack of governance, in a big way is causing land degradation and threatened its rivers with extinction. Mining of sand, for instance, is depleting the waters of the rivers. Even though the sand mining has a long history of extraction, it has gone unchecked for many decades in India. There is a wide complaint on weak governance and rampant corruption which facilitates uncontrolled and illegal mining of sand and gravel in the rivers. This unrestrained and unregulated activity is posing threats of widespread depletion of water resources which may lead to avoidable food shortages and hardships for the people. The sand mining rules are changing very fast in India which shows the pressure it has developed out of the sand mining in river bed. Sand mining in Kerala The State of Kerala is less than 39,000sq km in area and there are less than 50 distinct basins within the State.