Illegal sand-mining still a headache for ministry
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism says illegal sand and gravel mining continues to take place across the country, posing a danger to the environment, people and livestock. Ministry spokesperson Vilho Hangula has told The Namibian that the ministry is concerned about these activities and that they are prohibited by the Environmental Management Act. “We […] The post Illegal sand-mining still a headache for ministry appeared first on The Namibian .
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism says illegal sand and gravel mining continues to take place across the country, posing a danger to the environment, people and livestock.
Ministry spokesperson Vilho Hangula has told The Namibian that the ministry is concerned about these activities and that they are prohibited by the Environmental Management Act.
“We wish to remind the public that any sand or gravel mining activity of commercial value as outlined in the Environmental Management Act, must be preceded by the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the issuance of the environmental clearance certificate obtained from the Office of the Environmental Commissioner,” says Hangula.
He says these illegal activities continue to pose dangers, urging businesses and individuals to extract sand lawfully and responsibly in line with environmental laws.
He adds that the ministry understands the high demand for sand and gravel for road construction, but environmental sustainability should be balanced with development.
Hangula says recent reports of illegal sand and gravel mining have come from Eeshoke village in the Ohangwena region.
According to the ministry, illegal sand and gravel mining continues to take place mostly in the north-central regions, where illegal sites greatly outnumber legal ones.
One reason behind illegal sand-mining sites is that an EIA is a costly exercise, and traditional authorities where sand is mined do not always have the money to pay consultants registered with the Environmental Assessment Professionals Association of Namibia.
Sand mining is the extraction of sand, mainly from open pits, but sometimes from beaches and inland areas or dredged from oceans and riverbeds for construction purposes.
