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Introduction

Minor minerals like sand, clay, gravel, and building stones, regulated by states under the MMDR Act, 1957, are vital for infrastructure and industrial growth. In Quarry Owners Association vs State of Bihar (2000), the Supreme Court clarified that their classification depends on end use and local importance. Despite their significance, weak regulation has led to ecological harm and revenue loss.

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Significance of Minor Minerals in India’s Growth

• Key input for infrastructure development: Minor minerals like sand and gravel are essential in making concrete, mortar, and asphalt.
  Eg: Sand is vital for roads, bridges, buildings, and housing construction.
• Vital for manufacturing industries: Many minor minerals are used in ceramics, glass, electronics, and paints.
  Eg: Feldspar, Mica, and Kaolin support ceramics and rubber industries; Silica-rich minerals aid glassmaking.
• Supports local economies and employment: Extraction provides livelihood to thousands in rural and peri-urban regions.
  Eg: Small-scale quarrying sustains workers across riverbeds, hills, and floodplains.
• Essential for energy and tech transitions: Some minerals reclassified from minor to major now support India’s green energy ambitions.
  Eg: Barytes and Quartz, recently reclassified, are vital in oil drilling and solar equipment.
• Decentralised governance encourages localised planning: States regulate minor minerals, enabling region-specific management suited to local geology.

Challenges in Exploration and Governance

• Rampant illegal and unscientific mining: Unregulated extraction causes environmental harm and resource depletion.
• Environmental degradation and biodiversity loss: Mining disturbs aquatic and riparian ecosystems.
  Eg: Sand extraction has contributed to the decline of Gharials and Ganges River dolphins.
• Weak enforcement of environmental regulations: Despite court orders, mining continues without proper clearances or EIAs.
  Eg: Supreme Court in Deepak Kumar v. State of Haryana (2012) mandated EC for areas <5 ha, often violated.
• Fragmented legal framework and poor coordination: State-specific rules lead to inconsistency and weak monitoring systems.
• Conflict and criminalisation of the sector: Mining mafias threaten law enforcement and environmental defenders.
• Lack of rehabilitation of mined lands: Abandoned mining sites degrade land quality and reduce future utility.
• Under-prioritisation by policymakers: Major mineral policy gets more attention, leaving minor minerals under-governed.
  

Measures for Sustainable Governance

• Integrated national framework for minor minerals: A unified model law to harmonise regulation and enforcement across states.
  Eg: MoEFCC’s 2016 & 2020 Sand Mining Guidelines aim at sustainable extraction norms.
• Strict environmental clearance and EIA enforcement: Mandate EC and scientific mining plans for all operations.
• Adopt Public Trust Doctrine in resource governance: Treat natural resources as public assets, managed for collective benefit.
• Use of technology for monitoring and transparency: GIS, drones, and blockchain to track mining activity and prevent illegalities.
• Promote sustainable alternatives to natural minerals: Encourage use of manufactured sand and recycled construction material.
• Stronger inter-agency coordination and accountability: Ensure synergy among pollution control boards, forest departments, and mining regulators.
• People-centric and ecologically sensitive policies: Community participation in oversight and benefit-sharing mechanisms.
  Eg: Sand Mining Framework (2018) promotes sustainable extraction through district surveys.
  

Conclusion

Minor minerals, though decentralised and locally managed, are central to India’s developmental trajectory. Their unchecked exploitation, however, undermines environmental integrity and social order. A robust national framework balancing development with ecological preservation, guided by legal precedent and public trust, is essential for sustainable mineral governance.

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