Women’s Self-help Groups in the Sand Market

Abstract

Sand mining is a method of extracting sand for a variety of applications. As a business activity in Andhra Pradesh, it had been unregulated thus far and there have been reports of a mafia forming around it. To curb these illegal practices, the Government of Andhra Pradesh had launched an initiative of entrusting mining of sand to the women of DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas), to empower them by giving them a share in the earnings, to balance the ecological limitations of indiscriminate mining and to build the capacity of these self-help groups. One of the pilot projects in Gowripatnam seems to have unforeseen obstacles in the fulfilment of the stated objectives. Handling the throughput from taking orders online to timely dispatch of loads and payment of the declared compensation have not been streamlined after four months of piloting the project. The women are now looking at closing the ramp and withdrawing from the scheme.