Illegal Sand Mining Puts Rivers Communities at Risk of Erosion and Landslides, NGO Warns

An environmental group has urged the Rivers State Government to take stronger action against illegal sand mining, warning that the practice is exposing communities in Umuechem, Etche LGA, to erosion, landslides and threats to public safety. During activities marking the International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems, the group sensitised residents on the dangers of crude sand excavation and donated trees to support the restoration of damaged mangrove areas. The group’s founder said illegal sand mining is largely controlled by wealthy cartels and has not solved poverty or unemployment. He warned that communities are losing fertile ancestral land, while excavation has altered the landscape and created waterways that are encroaching on access roads. Community leaders welcomed the intervention and called for government action to curb both illegal excavation and unemployment among young people.

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