Centring on environmental issues - English coversation

Rose : I read an article, that all least 21 beaches in the islands of the Great Nicobart in the southernmost part of India, have vanished.

Lily : What’s the reason?

Rose : Sand mining. His is an unregulated industry in India. If one has a permit to lift a truck load of sand from a particular plot, five or even ten truck loads are lifted.

Lily : How does this lead to the disappearance of thebeaches?

Rose : Sand dunes arc the earth’s stock of sand and they prevent the erosion of the coast.

Lily : What happens if the beaches vanish?

Rose : The villages on the exist lose their line of defence against the force of the sea. They break down tidal winds and safeguard crops and property that lie behind it. Moreover, these are turtle-nesting beaches. Where will the turtles go to nest, if the beaches disappear? They too are vanishing. In a move to prevent this, the turtle conservation team comprising the Forest Department Staff and Andaman and Nicobar Environment team guard the turtles when they are nesting.

Lily : Something must be done then. Maybe reducing sand and cement based construction. Alternatives like timber, cane and bamboo could be used. We must do something to conserve the beaches which are crucial to an island ecosystem.