BMPA was founded in 1995, when it was called the Beach Minerals Producers Association (BSMPA). Since its inception, it has brought together major producers of the beach minerals industry in the country, and worked tirelessly to help the Indian beach mining industry realise its full potential.
BMPA is a registered association, accredited by the Quality Council of India, that works solely for the purpose of uplifting the beach minerals industry in India in a sustainable manner. With its various members, the BMPA strives to help the industry advance through technology, employment, contribution to the economy as well as local communities.
Beach sand mining is the most environment friendly of all mining practices. The minerals are replenishable, and the mining is manual with the simplest of equipment such as shovels and spades. There is absolutely no water, sand or noise pollution. Even the processing is ecologically safe, using methods such as sun-drying and dry separation that require neither excessive energy not chemicals.
No. The extraction of beach minerals requires only manual scooping of beach sand – sea water is untouched. There is no erosion or flooding, as the sand is refilled to restore natural topography once the minerals have been extracted. Members also proactively develop green belts and plant trees where they operate.
Beach minerals are extremely safe in all stages of collection and processing. Only monazite contains very trace quantities of uranium and thorium, which is negligible. All the beach minerals are safe and of indispensable use in daily life. They form the basis for the manufacturing of innumerable everyday products.
While river sand mining causes some damage to the riverbed and promotes erosion, beach sand mining has virtually no ill effects. The sand level is undisturbed as refilling is actively carried out, and the natural ecological balance is maintained.
To obtain a mining license for beach minerals, applications have to be processed by various governmental departments at the district, state and national levels. In addition to this, a number of environmental and safety clearances have to be obtained. An application is first made to the respective state government, which is taken up by the collector’s office. Site inspection follows at multiple levels, following which the state government forwards the application to the Ministry of Mines. After its vetting process, the Ministry forwards the application to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), which has to issue a no objection certificate. On the basis of this certificate, the Ministry of Mines decides on approving the license, following which the state government verifies whether the company complies with a predetermined set of laws through a series of district, state, national and public hearings. BMPA helps its member organisations with its extensive knowledge of the process of obtaining a license.
The radioactivity levels in beach sand mining arise only in the case of monazite. They are very much within limits as only minuscule quantities of uranium and thorium are present; not enough to cause any alarm. Even so, highly advanced measuring devices are present across all mining sites and they are constantly monitored.
Awaiting details on process and eligibility