Rajasthan govt promotes manufactured sand (M-Sand) as easy alternative
Recently, the Government of Rajasthan is promoting Manufactured Sand (M-Sand) as a better alternative to river sand.
M-Sand is produced by grinding rocks and quarry stones. These are then given a specified size of 150 µm. It is different from the sand extracted from the river.
Benefits of M-Sand
- It is more cost effective than using natural sand.
- It reduces the need for natural sand mining, as natural sand mining creates negative environmental impacts.
- It reduces the amount of water needed for construction projects, as it does not need to be washed before use.
- It helps in maintaining the water level.
Sand mining in india
- Sand is classified as a ‘minor mineral’ under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The administrative control of sand mining rests with the state governments.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had issued Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines in 2016. These guidelines encourage scientific mining of sand and its eco-friendly management practices.
- The Ministry of Mines has released the Sand Mining Framework, 2018. It envisages alternative sources of sand in the form of manufacture of M-sand from crushed rock fines (crusher dust) etc.
- The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued environmental guidelines for stone crushing units. These include taking air pollution control measures in stone crushing units.
River Sand
- M- Concrete strength is less as compared to sand.
- Due to the excess of flaky, pointed and angular particles, the joints are weak.
- The silt content is 3-20%. There is no control over the quality, as it is naturally produced. There can be differences in the amount of silt in the sand of the same river bed.
M-Sand (Manufactured Sand)
- It has higher concrete strength as compared to river sand.
- The particles of M-sand are cuboidal. This makes strong joints.
- Has zero silt content.
- Being manufactured in a controlled environment – it is of superior quality.
Source – Business Standard
