Economy & Market

Where there is sand, there is a way!

Published

9 years ago

March 31, 2018

admin

Vivek Maheshwari and Bhavesh Pravin Shah of CLSA reviews the problems of sand mining in India and provides a way forward for natural sand.
Sand is a non-negotiable resource for the construction sector and, interestingly, is classified as the fourth most important ‘minor’ mineral by the mines ministry. Sand availability was a problem at different points of time in the past few years but 2017 was perhaps the worst year with a series of sand mining restrictions across several states due to non-compliance with environment norms. This had an obvious impact on the construction industry in several states and this in turn impacted cement demand too. Sand availability, however, has been improving with states revising their mining rules. M-sand too has been gaining acceptance albeit at a slower pace. Based on our industry interactions, it appears that sand-related problems should be resolved during the course of 2018 although recent media reports still point to some uncertainties.Sand-related problems are not new…

Sand mining has a negative impact on the environment as it causes degradation of rivers and lowers the stream bottom, leading to bank erosion and thereby floods.
Enlargement of river mouths, loss of water and destruction of the aquatic habitat also get triggered by excessive sand mining.
There has been a widespread problem of sand mining in India, flouting environmental rules and damaging the environment.
The Supreme Court, in 2012, notified that sand mining operations should be licensed and monitored; in effect, this made ongoing sand mining operations illegal.

… but 2017 perhaps was the worst
Following the Supreme Court directive, states had put restrictions on sand mining in the past five years but the problem had brief impact over a relatively short timeframe. In 2017, though, following National Green Tribunal (NGT) concerns about illegal mining, several states formalised sand mining and even banned it in the interim. As a result, sand availability became a severe issue in several states and, even now, it is a problem in several of the states, although the worst phase seems to be over.The way forward for natural sand…
Sand availability has improved in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh. However, there continue to be problems in Rajasthan, where the Supreme Court intends to study and examine a report on replenishment of 19 mines. Madhya Pradesh now sells sand through an online portal. Bihar, Telangana and Tamil Nadu too have increased transparency in the sand trade by leveraging technology. Uttar Pradesh has e-auctioned mining leases in all districts except one, resulting in a revenue windfall of Rs26.5bn for the exchequer. Media reports indicate regulatory issues persist and may not go away for some time.… as well as M-sand
Sand mining problems have opened up another avenue for the industry which is ‘manufactured sand’ or simply, M-sand. M-sand has existed for a long time but recent events have accelerated its growth. M-sand is formed by crushing hard granite stone – it is cubical in shape with grounded edges, washed and graded with its size being less than 4.75mm. We also understand that M-sand’s gradation, shape, smoothness and consistency make it better than even natural sand for use in construction. However, buyer concerns persist and, hence, acceptability is still somewhat sluggish.Environmental effects of sand mining
Sand and boulders both are necessary to a river’s existence. Excessive instream sand/gravel mining causes its degradation as it lowers the stream bottom and eventually leads to erosion of the river banks. Depletion of sand in the stream bed and along coastal areas causes deepening of rivers/estuaries and enlarges river mouths and coastal inlets. This leads to disturbances in the ecological balance in these areas. Additionally, this results in destruction of aquatic and riparian habitat, through changes to the shape of the river, and pollution of water bodies.Triggers of the sand mining ban
Sand mining was declared illegal in February 2012 after the Supreme Court of India ruled that approval under the 2006 Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification is needed for all sand mining and gravel collection activities
According to the Geological Survey of India, riverbed mining causes several alterations to the physical characteristics of both rivers and riverbeds which severely affect ecological systems of river plants and animals. Excessive sand mining was reportedly one of the key reasons for major floods in the state of Bihar in 2017.
Additionally, there was ambiguity about best practices in mining methods that were used to assess how much sand can be sustainably mined. Over the years, lack of clear guidelines to deal with sand mining operations along with inability of the authorities to regulate mining operations resulted in unscrupulous and illegal sand mining activities. For instance, in the state of Tamil Nadu, reportedly, three-fifths of overall sand mined in the past 17 years was illegal.
Illegal sand mining not only has huge implications for the environment but also leads to a colossal loss to the state exchequer. Following a Supreme Court directive, states put restrictions on sand mining in the past five years but the issue had a brief impact over a relatively short timeframe.
In 2017, though, following NGT concerns about illegal mining, several states decided to formalise sand mining and even banned it in the interim. Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Uttar Pradesh (UP), Tamil Nadu (TN), Rajasthan and Maharashtra the key states that clamped down heavily on sand mining ops in 2017.Efforts to regulate and streamline mining
Madhya Pradesh was among the first to act and restructure the sand mining and sale process. It has allowed sand mining at key sites and now sells sand through its own simplified online portal.
Supply has improved across the state leading to a boost to construction. In Nov ’17, the chief minister opened up the mining sector under a detailed process that involved obtaining an e-pass for mining, which would be verified by the ‘sarpanch’ (village head) to ensure royalty of Rs125/cubic metres is paid to the state government.
Similarly, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Telangana too have launched online portals, mobile applications and GPS systems to track truck movements, etc to increase overall transparency in the sand trade.Availability of M-Sand pan-India is still an issue
Currently, more than seven organised companies based in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu produce M-sand. Thriveni Sands, Poabs, Tavara and Robo Silicon are the key players with large-scale production on a daily basis. However, in west and north India, availability of M-sand is relatively limited.
The types of M-sand available include:

M-sand for brick and block work: Laying bricks and block/masonry work
Concrete M-sand: For all concreting purposes
Plastering M-sand: External and internal plastering

Economy & Market

Leonard Unveils Dual-Head Robotic Arm for Hazardous Industrial Demolition

Published

1 day ago

October 30, 2026

admin

Leonard unveils Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve industrial safety and reduce shutdown time by up to 50 per cent.

Industrial robotics and refractory services specialist Leonard has launched Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve safety, accelerate maintenance and reduce shutdown times in hazardous industrial environments. The system made its debut at Lisahally Power Station in Northern Ireland, removing 25 tonnes of slag material within hours.

Developed for the cement, metals, waste-to-energy and petrochemical industries, Descender Duo enables remote-controlled refractory demolition, anchor cutting and welding, and refractory spraying inside boilers, calciners and silos. Its vertical-access design eliminates the need for personnel to enter confined, high-risk spaces during these operations.

Weighing less than two tonnes, the pre-assembled system requires an access opening of just 1.2 m². Supported by an external overhead hoist, it uses electrically operated hydraulic stabilising legs to secure itself inside vessels. The robotic arm offers 360-degree rotation and is suited to vessels approximately 9 m in diameter, with its operating reach extendable through strategically positioned access points.

Equipped with two independently controlled robotic heads, Descender Duo can perform identical or different tasks simultaneously, including refractory demolition, anchor cutting and spraying. Its remote-control system incorporates live camera feeds, allowing operators to monitor operations without entering hazardous environments.

According to Leonard, the technology can deliver time savings of up to 50 per cent compared with manual methods. Its ability to operate at temperatures exceeding 100°C allows maintenance to begin as early as 24 hours after burner shutdown. An all-electric power supply further supports cleaner and more cost-efficient operations.

First Deployment Demonstrates Shutdown Efficiency

The system was first deployed at Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor’s (BWSC) Lisahally Power Station in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The facility generates electricity from grade C waste wood, supplying approximately 40,000 homes and businesses.

Leonard and BWSC collaborated to develop a customised solution for the plant’s 26-metre furnace, where extensive external pipework created significant access challenges.

Mark Leonard, Managing Director, Leonard, said, “It required new thinking and rather than step away from the problem we were committed to solving it for the customer, with the customer. We’re relentless in our approach to tackling complex challenges, head-on. We took our years of cement plant experience, coupled with our working knowledge of the BWSC plant, and designed, engineered and tested a completely new vertical solution within just seven weeks from that initial conversation with the customer. That solution was the Descender Duo as we know it today.”

Traditionally, the furnace required a cooling period of up to 36 hours before preparatory work could begin, followed by manual slag removal using rope-access personnel. With Descender Duo, work commenced just 24 hours after shutdown, reducing downtime by up to one day.

The deployment removed 25 tonnes of slag within hours, eliminated the need for at least six workers to enter the hazardous furnace interior and saved 26 hours in the shutdown programme.

“The effectiveness exceeded expectation,” said Martin Doran, Plant Manager at Lisahally Power Station.

“When the Descender Duo concept was first discussed, we had to spend some time with the team from Leonard looking at how it was going to be moved into the furnace. Every site is different and that presented its own challenges, but nothing that the team couldn’t overcome. Once it was installed we were hugely impressed by its efficiency.”

Expanding Industrial Robotics Applications

Descender Duo joins Leonard’s existing portfolio of robotic maintenance solutions, including the Axis horizontal-access arm, Nano confined-space access arm, Charger cement mill media recharging system and Calibre cement mill media grading system.

Headquartered in Northern Ireland, Leonard provides robotic refractory demolition, installation, inspection and industrial maintenance services across the cement, metals, energy, biomass, glass and civil engineering sectors.

Formerly known as G Leonard, the company has more than 35 years of industry experience and operates across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

The latest innovation reinforces Leonard’s focus on replacing hazardous manual processes with robotic systems that improve workforce safety, enhance operational efficiency and minimise industrial downtime.

Concrete

Martin Engineering Appoints Ashwini Khunte as India General Manager

Published

1 day ago

October 30, 2026

admin

Martin Engineering names Ashwini Khunte India General Manager to strengthen operations and drive growth across key bulk material handling sectors.

Pune

Martin Engineering, a global provider of bulk material handling solutions, has appointed Ashwini Khunte as General Manager of its India business, strengthening its leadership as the company expands its presence across the country’s cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure sectors.

Khunte brings more than a decade of experience with Martin Engineering, having joined its Indian operations in 2013 as a Design Engineer, shortly after the company established its presence in the country in 2012.

A mechanical engineer by qualification, she spent her initial five years developing bulk material handling solutions in collaboration with the company’s operations team. During this period, she gained extensive experience addressing operational challenges in the steel, cement and coal industries. She subsequently moved into project engineering, managing major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) projects from initial enquiry to commissioning. Her responsibilities later expanded to overseeing Martin Engineering’s conveyor product portfolio in India, involving customer engagement, technical presentations and site visits across heavy industries.

In 2024, Khunte was promoted to Head of Sales & Marketing for the company’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI) region. The position broadened her international market exposure and strengthened her strategic and commercial leadership capabilities.

Commenting on her appointment, Ashwini Khunte, General Manager, Martin Engineering India, said: “India represents a tremendous opportunity for Martin Engineering. The country’s continued investment in cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure is creating increasing demand for safer, cleaner and more productive bulk material handling, and that’s exactly what we do. My priority will be to build on the strong foundations already established in India, while continuing to develop our people, strengthen customer relationships and bring practical solutions to the challenges faced by our industry.”

Robert Whetstone, Area Vice President – EMEAI, Martin Engineering, highlighted Khunte’s technical expertise, market understanding and leadership experience.

“Ashwini brings an exceptional combination of technical understanding, customer knowledge and commercial leadership. She has grown as Martin Engineering has grown, and has consistently demonstrated outstanding capability to transform her expertise into practical solutions. Her knowledge of the Indian market, together with her international experience, makes her ideally suited to lead our India business through its next stage of growth for years to come.”

Since establishing its Indian business in 2012, Martin Engineering has expanded its local workforce, manufacturing capabilities and dealership network. The company supplies conveyor products, transfer point solutions, material flow aids, training and technical support to bulk material handling industries. Khunte’s appointment positions the company to further strengthen customer relationships and expand its solutions portfolio in India’s growing industrial and infrastructure markets.

Concrete

Fornnax Wins AIRIA’s Special Export Award for Rubber Machinery in 2025-26

Published

2 weeks ago

October 19, 2026

admin

Fornnax Technology Pvt. Ltd. has been honoured with the Special Export Award – Rubber Machinery for 2025–26 by the All-India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), in recognition of its highest exports of tyre recycling plants to the European region.

With more than a decade of experience in India’s tyre recycling industry, Fornnax has contributed to the development of advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure. The company currently holds a 90% market share in India’s domestic tyre recycling sector, while exports account for 30% of its business, spanning markets such as Europe, Australia and the GCC.

The award marks another milestone for Fornnax, whose tyre recycling lines and advanced shredding technologies are supporting the growth of the circular economy in India and international markets.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Founder and Director of Fornnax, said:

“This honour from AIRIA is a reflection of an incredible journey we have undertaken over the years. When we started Fornnax, there was no established recycling industry in India to follow. We chose to build for the future instead. Today, when you see India’s tyre recycling sector, it has already transformed into a dynamic, high-growth industry and we are extremely proud to have played our part in building it.”

Unlike standalone equipment suppliers, Fornnax focuses on developing complete, high-capacity recycling infrastructure. Its integrated systems combine multiple stages of shredding and size reduction to enable efficient, continuous operations. This system-level engineering approach helps recycling operators improve throughput, equipment reliability and operational consistency.

The recognition reinforces Fornnax’s commitment to developing engineering technologies that contribute to a more efficient and circular recycling ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the company aims to expand its international presence while continuing to develop advanced shredding and recycling solutions to address the growing volumes and evolving requirements of the global recycling industry.

For more information, visit: www.fornnax.com