Jaleswar, June 22: Even as the mafia from West Bengal continues to loot sand from the bansk of river Subarnarekha in fringe areas of Orissa, discontent brews among people in riparian pockets.
Curbing the sand mining has been a challenge for the local administration and the police while the locals allege that rampant sand quarrying over the years has triggered riverbank erosion and posed threat to some villages.
Makidia sarpanch Balarabh Barsal and ward member Goura Charan Ghose observed that joint action by the administrations of both the states is the need of the hour.
Meanwhile, a seven-member team of Utkal Sammilani took stock of the situation at Makidia. RDC (Central) Akhila Bihari Otta was to visit the area Wednesday, but his visit was cancelled.
Chinmay Kumar Das of Utkal Samilani expressed concern over the sand mining and said Mankidia will vanish into the river if the mafia is allowed to carry on mining.
Riparian villagers alleged though the administration of West Bengal and Orissa had decided earlier to resolve the issue and act against the mafia, nothing is being done in this direction.
Locals pointed out that the law and order situation has deteriorated in the area in the past when they had confrontations with the mafia.
Locals had warned of a hunger strike against the illegal sand lifting June 12, but the administration conducted raid on the mafia a day before just to please the people, they said.
Officials along with two platoons of police had chased away the mafia to the other side of the river April 23. But the mafia and their aides armed with weapons were in a combative mood to assault the police and officials, who had to return from midway.
As the raid failed to yield any results, locals were angry and gheraoed the officials. However, surprisingly, police registered a case against 200 villagers over this incident.
People from riparian villages had earlier submitted memoranda to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and revenue minister Maheswar Mohanty seeking immediate action against illegal sand lifting.
Makidia sarpanch Balarabh Barsal, former sarpanch Chandan Kumar Sahu, ward member Jamuna Adhikary, former block chairperson Radhakant Ghose and former samiti member Pratibhrani Ghose are leading the campaign against the mafia.
They stated that Jaleswar MLA had repeatedly apprised the collector of the illegal sand lifting with swamp pumps, but to no avail. They demanded permanent solution to the problem.
The villagers forwarded copies of the memorandum to RDC (Central), Balasore MP, the collector, the SP, Jaleswar MLA and the tehsildar.
Locals apprehend that over 1,200 houses in Makidia and Kuanrpur will be devoured by the river if illegal sand lifting is allowed to continue. The river will fast change its course further into fringe areas, they added.
Makidia panchayat is one of the fringe areas on the eastern borders of West Bengal. Over the years, the river has changed its course and eroded into Orissa side.
The Bengal mafia has engaged swamp pump sets with which it has been lifting sand from 30/40 ft depth of the riverbed. Every year, the volume of sand mining has been increasing.
Over 30 swamp pumps have been deployed in the river for mining while these powerful pumps cause tremors in Makidia and Kuanrpur when they are operated. Buildings and houses in the area have reportedly developed cracks under their impacts, some locals said.
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