Risky overlap

Fisher communities in Kollam, Kerala, protest India’s plan to commence offshore sand mining

- ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY KOLLAM, KERALA

WE HAVE not learned any other skill. The cost of living is already high. How are we going to stay afloat if mining depletes our fish catch?” asks Tagore Letlas, a fisher from Kerala’s Thangassery village. He is one of several fishers in seaside villages of Kollam district protesting the Union government's decision to allow offshore mining along the coastline.

In November 2024, the Union Minister of Coal and Mines announced the auction of mineral blocks in the offshore areas of Gujarat, Andaman and Nicobar islands and Kerala for extraction of lime mud, polymetallic nodules and sand, respectively, marking India’s entry into offshore mining. According to the website of the Union Ministry of Mines, the tentative date of auction is August 22, 2025.

Since the announcement, Kollam, where the offshore mining for sand is planned, has seen several protests by fishers, including a day-night demonstration at the Kollam port on February 22, where hundreds of fishers participated.

Sand is the most used natural resource in the world, after water. Construction of a house requires roughly 200 tonnes of sand while every kilometre of highway needs 30,000 tonnes of the resource. In India, the main sources of sand are river floodplains, coastal areas and agricultural fields. However, the government considers offshore sand as a “sustainable” source for the construction sector, which could help the country reduce its dependence on land-based sources, according to a document released by the Union Ministry of Mines on January 11 this year.