Tamil Nadu: Sand mining rule simplified

Now, those who wanted to extract the sand, soil and clay from the water bodies maintained by the PWD and the Rural Development Department could apply online for permission and obtain it from the local tahsildar.

Due to heavy rains all water bodies like reservoirs, lakes, ponds and canals were filled with water making extraction of minor minerals from the bed impossible. But now that the water level had gone down, farmers and potters could extract them for their benefit without cost, an official press release said.