Odisha suggests uniform coding to check illegal sand mining

Practice threatens the existence of over 70% of the world's beaches

“Illegal sand mining is rampant in some states. We have proposed to the Union ministry that a coding system be introduced so that all states prevent interstate movement of material excavated through illegal mining. If the ministry agrees to the idea, a detailed plan can be worked out”, an Odisha government official has said.

Other states like Jharkhand, Punjab and Karnataka are also grappling with the problem of illegal sand mining. Though Punjab has started e-auction of sand mines and collected Rs 170.28 crore as revenue, the illegalities with sand mining still persist. The Jharkhand government feels that the problem of