Diving fifty feet for a bucket of sand

Three days after dna reported that suction pumps are being used rampantly across the creeks and rivers of Thane and Raigad despite a complete ban, this paper has now found that the largest sand procurement point is right inside Thane city’s municipal limits.

Using a March 2013 state government resolution (GR), which made an exception in the case of traditional manual sand mining, nearly 5,000 labourers work from the early hours till the afternoon high-tide at Kolshet, diving, extracting and carting away sand to a fleet of 35 trucks, which then carry out several sorties to transport sand to construction sites in the city.

The GR, which was in response to a petition filed by traditional manual sand miners in the Bombay high court challenging the ban on mining, states that mining activity will not be carried out in a coastal regulation zone (CRZ), and that such mining should be limited to a five hectare area.

The creek comes within the CRZ as is borne out by Maharahstra Maritime Board records. But the 200-plus mining boats on either banks are spread out in an area nearly 30 times in excess of the five-hectare stipulation.

Thane collector P Velarasu insisted there is nothing illegal about manual mining. “The divers bring out an insignificant amount of sand. This cannot be counted as mining since they do not use machines or pumps,” he said. When dna pointed out that the riders in the GR were being flouted, he said: “I will ask the additional collector to inspect the spot.” 

Activist Sumaira Abdulali said traditional manual sand mining was meant to keep navigation routes free for fishing boats. “Nobody must have envisaged that this practice will be used to feed the real estate sector’s never-ending appetite for sand.”

One of the boats working in the creek had a crew of five, all from Union minister Sharad Pawar’s constituency of Madha in Solapur. With no protection whatsoever, wearing only briefs, Ram Jadhav, 35, the diver kept diving nearly 50ft with a tin bucket latched to a rope in hand. On his tug, the other four would begin pulling the rope to which the bucket with 40kg of sand was tied.

Panting for breath, Jadhav admitted that the first few times of diving was scary. “Now I’m used to it. Who else will pay me Rs1,200 a day?” Repeated droughts have left his fields barren and he sees this as the only means to support his family. The other crew members get Rs300 a day.

Jadhav, however, clarified that the boat owner cuts pay if they do not bring up at least 15 tonnes of good quality sand. “If the sand is too loamy or less than 15 tonnes, then we have to make do with whatever he pay us,” he points out. “After working for hours in the filthy water, which leaves me smelling like a sewer rat, it’s unfair when pay is cut but what choice do we have?”

According to Jadhav at least 15-20 divers lose their lives every year in diving accidents.
“We are used to diving in the Bheema river for sand mining where the water is clean. In the creek, because of the sewage and pollutants, most find diving nauseating. So, they drink alcohol before work and that’s how most accidents happen.”

Attempts to get through to state labour commissioner Madhukar Gaikwad drew a blank after his staff was told the topic to be discussed.

Nandkumar Pawar, a local activist who has been trying to dissuade the community from sand mining because of its impact on the environment, says the easy money is a big attraction for the Kolis. “Thanks to pollution our traditional occupation of fishing is gone.

When I speak to the villagers they ask me why we should be the only ones worrying about the environment when large corporates and the government are not concerned,” he told dna. “Compared to fishing the returns are really high for the boat-owners who earn between Rs1,200-1,500 for a truckload.”

A boat owner admitted that the labourers should get more. “But the suppliers and builders are always trying to cut corners despite the fact that they save on transport and on sand. If they pay us more we can pass the benefit on to the labourers.” 

As Jadhav lowers himself into the rank waters for the final dive of the day, he takes a deep breath and stares hard at the skyscrapers across the creek before vanishing underwater.

Wonder if the residents in the buildings know the price divers like him pay to keep them there.