Ranchi: Jharkhand’s long-running sand shortage continues despite the auction of 302 sand Ghats, with legal sand lifting currently possible from only 14 ghats across six districts. The State had auctioned the Ghats in June 2026 after a long gap, but most successful bidders are still waiting for mandatory clearances before they can begin operations. The NGT restriction on sand extraction is due to end on 15th October 2026, after which the process of opening the remaining Ghats is expected to accelerate.
Five Clearances Needed to Start Operations
The State had auctioned 302 of its total 444 sand Ghats by forming groups of several Ghats in a district. Initially, groups of 20 Ghats were offered, but the size was later reduced to 10 to allow bidders with relatively smaller resources to participate. The successful bidders now have to obtain five approvals including environmental clearance, Forest Department NOC, a Circle Officer’s report, Gram Sabha permission in Scheduled Areas and Consent to Operate (CTO) from the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB). Until these are secured, most of the auctioned Ghats cannot legally supply sand.
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At present, legal sand lifting is reported from selected Ghats in Dumka, Hazaribag, Ranchi, Godda, East Singhbhum and Ramgarh. The operational locations include Chhotakamti, Haripur and Katonai in Dumka, Santh and Sonpur, Langtu, Sikri and Pandaria in Hazaribagh, Shyamnagar in Ranchi, Jasmata, Jhiluwa and Sanatan in Godda, Koreya Mohanpal in East Singhbhum and Sirka, Tokisud and Painki in Ramgarh. The limited supply has kept the availability of legally sourced sand tight, while the Government now expects to bring more ghats into operation after 15th October 2026.
3,500 Crore Revenue Target Depends on Opening More Ghats
The State Government has set an annual revenue target of Rs. 3,500 crore from sand, but achieving it will depend on bringing the auctioned Ghats into regular operation. Sand extraction is permitted for only eight months of the year, with mining remaining closed from July to October. Mines and Geology Secretary Arva Rajkamal has been reviewing the progress of the auctioned Ghats, while the Directorate of Mines is also following up on the pending process. With 288 auctioned Ghats yet to become operational, the availability and price of sand will largely depend on how quickly the required clearances are secured.
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