The story so far: A much-needed ban on river sand mining in Kerala has instead spurred more stone quarrying, and many of these quarries are located near protected areas, according to a new report from scientists in the State.

Kerala banned river sand mining in January 2016 to protect its rivers and their ecosystems from the degradation caused by excessive extraction. After the ban, M-sand, an artificial alternative produced by crushing hard rock such as granite into fine particles, quickly became a popular alternative, leading to the rise in stone quarrying.

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