Cuttack: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed with the Orissa High Court seeking a ban on illegal sand lifting from Kuakhai river bed.
Petitioner Achyutananda Swain informed the HC that the Kuakhai river bed has become a money minting site for the local police and tehsildar who work hand in glove with sand mafia to serve their purpose.
“Rampant sand lifting has weakened the embankments, thereby creating flood threat to the people of at least 10 villages under Barang block. This apart, laxity of the law enforcement agencies has helped incur losses to the state exchequer,” the petitioner said.
Law department secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management secretary, Central range Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), Cuttack Collector, Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), Cuttack Sadar sub-collector, Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Barang tehsildar and inspector in-charge (IIC) have been made parties to the case.
The petitioner has urged the HC seeking directives to the police and tehsildar to stop illegal sand lifting.
The villagers of Trisulia, Fakirpada, Godi Sahi, Mundamuhana, Gothapur, Naranpur, Deuli, Madhupur, Madhuban, Jaypur and Nua Sahi had submitted a memorandum with the revenue divisional commissioner (Central) December 4, 2017. Besides, they have also approached the Cuttack Collector in this regard, but to no avail, the petition said.
Swain said the mafia have been engaged in round-the-clock sand lifting from the river bed. “Hundreds of trucks and tractors of the mafia loading sand has become a common sight there. Besides, the trucks are ferrying sand without proper surface covering which adds to the pollution,” the petition reads. The OSPCB has also turned a blind eye to the issue, Swain added.
Advocate Antaryami Swain pleaded on behalf of the petitioner.
