Sajanagad: The bed of Sona River in Nilagiri block of Balasore district has turned out to be a safe haven for the sand mafia.
Due to the rampant illegal sand mining, the government is losing revenue worth crores of rupees every year. But the administration is sitting pretty.
Reports said the mafia mines truckloads of sand from the river at night. The illegal business has been going on with impunity for some time now.
The public fears that if the sand mining goes on then Kathapal village will be affected soon. Sand mining has eroded the river bank, posing a threat to the village.
The revenue department has failed to check the rampant loot of sand which has caused huge loss of revenue to the government.
Villagers are opposing the sand mining, but they are threatened by the mafia. Resentment is brewing among the people as the administration is taking no action against the sand mafia.
The villagers said the illegal sand mining is facilitated by the unholy nexus between the sand mafia and the tehsil officials. They warned that if nothing is done to check the mining, they would launch a protest soon.
Nilagiri tehsildar Rajendra Kumar Panda said a special team has been formed by the administration to raid illegal sand miners.
“If the sand mine is leased out illegal mining will end. We are in the process of leasing out a sand quarry in the river,” he added.
PNN
