On Tuesday, Maharashtra approved the Sand Excavation and Disposal Policy 2025 for the state, which will provide up to 5 brass (about 14 cubic metres) of free sand to recipients of government housing projects statewide. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presided over a Cabinet meeting that approved the measure.
Maharashtra on Tuesday adopted the state’s Sand Excavation and Disposal Policy 2025 which will provide up to 5 brass (about 14 cubic metres) of free sand to recipients of government housing projects in the state.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presided over a Cabinet meeting that approved the measure.
According to the new regulation, sand from rivers and streams will not be sold or harvested using the current online depot system. Rather, it will now be carried out via a fair auction procedure.
The policy also stresses the promotion of artificial (made) sand in light of natural sand’s environmental significance and increasing scarcity. Artificial sand will first be required in 20% of all semi-government and government building activities.
Over the next three years, this need will be progressively raised to 100 per cent.
According to the revised policy, all sand clusters in a sub-divisional region would be gathered together for one e-auction following environmental approval.
Riverbed sand cluster sale will be valid for two years. The Maharashtra Maritime Board will hold e-auctions for creek sand clusters valid for three years.
Significantly, 10% of the sand taken from each cluster would be set aside to give beneficiaries of housing projects up to 5 tonnes of sand free of charge.
Government housing recipients, villagers for personal and community work, and farmers for building their own wells will be given sand from non-auctioned clusters—including rivers, streams, and canals that either do not fall under central guidelines or have not received environmental clearance.
Traditional, small-scale digging techniques including the hatpati-dubi will be reserved in some sand clusters. A permit-based, non-tender approach will allocate these.
Should floods or other natural causes deposit sand on agricultural land, the sand will be removed to restore the area’s agricultural viability.
The programme also establishes fees for sand produced from overburden in central and state government mines: Rs 200 per brass for sand and Rs 25 per brass for other minor minerals.
Imported sand from other states will be more closely monitored. Tractor illegal sand transfer would incur a penalty of Rs 1 lakh.
A committee headed by the Divisional Commissioner of Nashik carefully examined the 2023 and 2024 state rules regulating depot-based sand mining, movement, and sale.
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