Kashinagar: Even as illegal sand mining continued unabated in Vamsadhara river in Kashinagar area of Gajapati district, the wrongdoing has stoked a controversy, a report said.
BJD leaders in the area have objected to use of machines in sand mining. They have demanded installing CCTVs at sand ramp to keep a watch on excess sand mining and other violations of norms.
Addressing a press meet, BJD leaders like G Tirupati Rao, K Apparao, Raghuram Sahu and K Ramarao alleged that there was no CCTV at sand ramps while sand quarrying is not allowed in the monsoon.
“Machines are used to lift sand which is illegal. Besides, lifted sand is dumped on a patch of forestland at Idudi mouza,” they pointed out, adding there are two ramps at one place which contravenes the existing rules.
They stated that though the local tehsildar and the DFO have been apprised of such illegality by the lease holders, no action is being taken against the lessees.
However, the lease holders argued that as per the Odisha Minor Mineral Concession Rule-2016, sand can be lifted from dry riverbed in the monsoon while the allegation of two ramps at one place is baseless.
As for forest land, the lessees countered that how there can be forest land inside the river, they added.
“There used to be CCTV at the ramp. A few days back, some drivers of tractors failed to get Y-Forms for sand loading. They got angry and vandalized the CCTVs,” the lease holders added.
Tehsildar Laxmiprasad Sahu said lease holders have deposited their revenues. There are no restrictions on lifting sand during monsoon. Sand mining during rainy season will rather augment revenue generation for the government, he added.
He also added that all allegations leveled against the lease holders were being probed and action will be taken only after the investigation report is available.
PNN
