The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has warned that the development of new roads, housing, and other infrastructures should not come at the cost of irreversible environmental degradation.
The Environment minister, Indileni Daniel, made the call after announcing that the country is experiencing increased illegal activities of sand and gravel mining. She said the illegal activities pose danger to the environment, people, livestock, and wildlife, such as land degradation, erosion of river beds, and destruction of agricultural land.
Daniel noted that proper regulation of sand and gravel mining operations is required to balance developmental needs and environmental protection.
As a result, the Ministry has drafted the regulations for sand and gravel mining, and public consultations are set to follow soon.
