Coastal sand mining, whether legal or illegal, poses one of the biggest threats to our environment. Analyze the impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts, citing specific examples.

Illegal sand mining leads to consequences of affects lives and livelihoods

loss of natural barriers across water bodies -> coastal erosion -> effects aquatic ecosystem -> affects natural shock absorbers like wetlands, mangroves -> Increased incidence of urban floods

affects lives and livelihoods

-> loss of lives and property due to increased floods

-> loss of 'biodiversity' and soil erosion decreases the nutritive value of soil