Using Plastic Waste To Help Solve Sand Shortages（2）
使用塑料垃圾帮助解决沙子短缺（2）
Shortfalls of sand in India continue to fuel a big increase in illegal sand mining, controlled by criminal gangs, known as "sand mafias". These groups have been linked to dozens of nurders, including the 2015 killing of investigative journalist Jagendra Singh.
印度沙子短缺持续推动非法采沙矿的活动大量增加，控制采沙的黑帮，被称为“沙子*手党黑**”。这些组织与数十起谋杀案有关，包括2015年杀害调查记者杰根德勒·辛格。
"People don't comprehend, or it doesn't strike them, that there is a shortage [of sand]," says Shobha Bhatia, a professor of civil and environment engineering at Syracuse University.
“人们不理解，或者认识不到（沙子）短缺问题”，美国雪城大学土木与环境工程教授肖芭·巴蒂亚说。
"The issue is construction. We are building cities and towns at an unprecedented pace," she adds. "But many of us also don't realize that sand is used for things like smartphone and TV screens, solar panels and other electric items," she says.
“这是一个结构性的问题。我们正在以前所未有的节奏建造城市与村镇，”她补充道：“但是大部分人并没有意识到沙子还被用于像智能手机与电视屏幕，太阳能电池板以及其他电子产品之中。”
To try to reduce the need for sand, a small but growing number of researchers are turning to technology and innovation in the hunt for alternatives.
为了缓解对沙子的需求，为数不多但却队伍日渐庞大的研究团队开始转向寻求以技术和创新的替代品。