Sand mining to be regulated
Yolanda NelUncontrolled mining of sand and gravel should become a thing of the past, after the City of Windhoek (CoW) last week approved a policy to regulate these extractions.
At last week's council briefing, the CoW said it has the responsibility to ensure that the natural resources within its jurisdiction are managed and utilised in a sustainable fashion, saying that the supply and replenishment thereof will grind to a halt if authorisations to extract said resources are not guided by policies.
The policy objective is to put an application procedure with assessment criteria in place and to set basic principles to minimise the impact of sand mining activities. Another objective is to identify and establish sand gravel and mining sites.
The CoW said that rapid development in recent years has resulted in the mushrooming of quarrying and river sand mining activities. “Although sand and gravel mining have crosscutting implications on the socio-economic development of the country, it is being done in an uncontrolled manner, without a consistent regulatory framework.”
The most popular spots for sand mining are riverbeds where underground water runs. This part of the City’s water supply system, especially during drought. The removal of sand from those areas is not permitted since the moment people do this, they may damage the aquifer, which is the body that carries underground water.
The policy outlines key elements such as application requirements, enforcement and general principles for sand mining. It will also provide for appropriate site-selection, a rehabilitation plan and a monitoring mechanism. According to the statement, council recommends that the Sand Mining Policy for sustainable sand mining be converted into a regulation, which would allow for the incorporation of a tariff component to enhance revenue.
The policy will be available on the City’s website and the public is urged to acquaint themselves with its content.