Jaleswar: The sand mafias from West Bengal have reportedly shifted their focus to illegal excavation of fertile soil.
Until National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) intervention, the mafias had been excavating sand from the Subarnarekha riverbed in Jaleswar of Balasore district. Now the miscreants have set their eyes on fertile land, reports said.
The mafias with the help of some local residents are reportedly involved in excavating top soil from government land and from nearby patches using JCB machines.
Hundreds of tractors are being used to carry the soil to West Bengal.
The soil mining has left the farmers a worried lot and they have lodged complaints with the district administration and police.
However, no action has yet been taken to check the rampant illegal soil mining.
Particularly, the farmers who are living on those patches are on the receiving end. They pointed out that the top soil is generally fertile. And if this soil is mined or removed, it will have an adverse result on the yield.
“A youth here has lodged a complaint with the Tehsildar and Raibania police against the soil mafias and some villagers who are helping them. But the police haven’t yet taken any action,” the farmers alleged.
The mafias and their local accomplices have reportedly threatened the youth that they would eliminate him and his family.
A separate police complaint has also been filed in this regard.
The villagers urged the administration to provide safety to the youth and his family.
When the illegal soil excavation and transportation was brought to the attention of Sub Collector Nilu Mohapatra, he said, “Jaleswar Tehsildar has already been asked to take action against the soil mafias.”
PNN