the construction boom of india is really going places. this time it is going right onto kerala's beaches. with complete absence of green building standards, sustainable building mandatory codes, regulation and monitoring of monster apartments in urban areas - our natural resouces like rivers and now beaches are being plundered for sand, which is a vital commodity in building construction.

in trivandrum, as per hindu report, residents are up in arms against this illegal mining. and the harmful effects of this illegal, unsustainable sand mining is aptly summed up in the report as follows:
local residents say that the large-scale removal of sand has left the remaining portions of the beach pockmarked with deep pits, creating a hazard for residents and unwary visitors. Scientists feel that sand-extraction could be a major factor behind the unprecedented erosion along the Thiruvananthapuram coast last year. Dozens of houses were washed away by strong tidal action and the seawall was damaged at several places. Hundreds of coconut trees were also uprooted by waves.

only if we build the words " sustainable", "mandatory green building standards" in the construction frenzy that is sweeping india, we will have a tiny chance of saving our precious natural resources.
(residents protesting illegal sand mining in trivandrum's coast. copyright hindu)