Gov’t Amends Regulations to Permit Sand Mining Near Protected Areas

The Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy has tweaked regulations to allow the cabinet to approve sand mining adjacent to Protected Areas.

The ministry on Saturday gazzetted revisions to a 2013 regulation concerning land reclamation and dredging of islands and lagoons, which previously prohibited sand mining within or within a 200-meter radius of a protected area or designated environmentally sensitive zone.

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The amendments introduce an exemption to this prohibition for projects sanctioned by the cabinet or a cabinet committee. These alterations entail specific conditions to be fulfilled by the project contractor before commencement of such projects.

Among the stipulations, the contractor must conduct a comprehensive study on the area’s flora and fauna, particularly focusing on endangered species. Furthermore, they are mandated to formulate detailed plans for the relocation, restoration, and ongoing monitoring of any endangered species in the vicinity.

Moreover, the government is obligated to establish provisions for the identification, administration, and ongoing monitoring of an alternative protected area of no lesser natural significance than the area impacted by the project.

Responsibilities also extend to assessing potential effects on groundwater levels and flood risks, with the contractor required to implement measures to mitigate adverse impacts or establish an effective drainage system. Oversight of these measures has to be conducted by the Environment Protection Agency.