The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) plans to introduce new rules to control sand and gravel mining across the country, with public consultation meetings set to begin on Monday.

The Environmental Commissioner, Timoteus Mufeti, says the new rules are needed because some mining activities are damaging the environment and putting human and livestock lives at risk.

 The regulations will explain where sand and gravel can be mined, require proper permits and punish those who break the law.

"The government in this ministry is not against sand mining or what we refer to as 'sand mining' or 'gravel extraction'.  So we are not against that activity because we know it's a needed commodity for our economical and social development and the upliftment of our people. "I think what we are calling for is that it should be done in a sustainable way," stressed Mufeti.

The Environmental Commissioner says more people now understand the dangers of uncontrolled sand mining, but it is still hard to stop it because the current laws are weak.

"I think at the moment we have got a very shaky legal framework to regulate properly these activities, and this is why now we have come up with draft regulations to look at or to address the sand and gravel removal activities in the country. So some of the issues we are going to put in there are really to outline the process of authorisation or authorising people to mine."

Mufeti further urged communities, business people and other interested groups to attend meetings and share their views before the rules are finalised.