Illegal sand mining goes on in broad daylight in Mancherial

Mines and Geology department Assistant Director R Balu Naik

Mancherial: Through the day and night too, dozens of sand laden trolleys hitched to tractors are zooming along the streets of Ramnagar, Laxminagar, NTR Nagar, Old Mancherial and peripherals of Mancherial town, carrying illegally mined sand from the Godavari and other water bodies in the district.

Sand is being extracted from the riverbeds of Godavari, Rallavagu, Palavagu, Erravagu, Bathukammavagu, Saplavagu and scores of other rivulets that flow in several parts of the district, that too in full public view from early morning to midnight. It is then transported by the tractors to secret stock points in the district centre and mandal headquarters and is being sold to customers for different construction activities.

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The sand miners are deploying daily wage earners to excavate the sand from the riverbed and drivers to transport it from the water body to the secret stock points. They retreat for a brief time when authorities conduct raids and seize the vehicles after local residents raise objection to the menace.

It is alleged that the sand miners were offering monthly mamools to certain officials of different departments.
As per information from officials of the Mines and Geology department, the district is registering around 400 cases of illicit sand mining and transportation and fines worth Rs.40 lakh were being imposed every year.

The government would be able to generate income if the menace is curbed by intensifying vigilance and by officially selling the sand through reaches by collecting nominal charges, officials point out.

Mines and Geology department Assistant Director R Balu Naik said cases were being booked against owners of tractors for illegally mining and transporting sand from Godavari, Rallavagu and other streams across the district. Admitting that the menace continued despite the cases, he attributed the menace to the delay in identification of sand reaches caused by stagnation of water in the river due to the recent heavy rains.