Off-shore sand mining threatens Kerala's fishing community

Congress MP K.C. Venugopal raised concerns in the Lok Sabha about off-shore sand mining in Kerala, stating it would harm fishermen's livelihoods. He criticized the government for starting the tender process without an environmental impact study. Venugopal called for a halt to the tender process until an impartial study is conducted. He emphasized that fishermen were not consulted and highlighted potential damage to the Quilon Bank, a key fish breeding area. In response, Minister Kirtivardhan Singh assured that mining locations were chosen to avoid fishing areas. He stated that fishermen's concerns would be addressed in future plans and that regulations were in place to protect their interests.