Post News Network
Chandbali, Sept 21: A Supreme Court ruling banning illegal sand lifting from rivers across the country has not deterred the mafia here in Bhadrak district from carrying out the illegal activity.
The mafia quarry sand at the dead of night from various riverbanks, but the administration has allegedly not
initiated any step to check the practice, which has been causing loss of crores of
rupees in terms of revenue to the state exchequer.
Locals say sand lifting is taking place as the tehsil administration has not yet auctioned the sand ghats here. Sand mafia are cashing in on this situation. Extracting sand from various ghats at dead of night, the mafia stockpile the construction material at different places.
Locals say sand beds lie sprawling over 70 acre from Muan to Sundarpur along river Baitarani under this tehsil. Besides, 30 acre of sand bed lies between Badaharipur and Kaudiapal.
Sources said the tehsil administration had planned to generate `50 lakh from the auction of sand ghats this fiscal. But the auction attempt by the administration was nullified by a syndicate of local sand traders, which did not participate in the bidding process in March.
Since April, the mafia groups have been quarrying tonnes of sand from the riverbeds in areas like Kaudia, Dhankhania, Thokara Mahara, Garipur, Bhuinbruti, Gopalpur Mahara, Gundal, Aradi, Muan, Shitalpur, Palatpur, Pokharisahi and Nayadhamara.
Locals claimed that 50 to 60 trucks and tractors have been engaged by the mafia to loot sand. Over 20 boats were also engaged in sand lifting and transport. The tehsil administration has been carrying out raids, but has not been fully successful in stopping the illegal extraction of sand.
Source said over 100 truckloads of sand have been stocked at a brick kiln on the riverbank while over 500 truckloads of sand have been piled up at Thakurani field at Baligan. The stocks are under the disposal of a contractor, sources added.
Tehsildar Chittaranjan Sahu said a team has been formed to curb illegal sand lifting. Raids are being conducted and penalty imposed, he added.
