Illegal sand mining rampant in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: Illegal sand mining is rampant in Srikakulam district. In the name of government construction works and to meet the needs of Visakhapatnam city, the sand mafia is violating all established mining rules and regulations. Particularly during elections all concerned departments like police, revenue officials were busy which was a golden period for sand mafia. Again, the officials are busy with local body elections and sand mafia is continuing its illegal activities.

Nine sand reaches were allowed officially to excavate sand from Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers by the district level sand committee (DLSC). The nine reaches are Muddada, Singuru, Ponnam, Dusi, Purusottapuram, Muddadapeta, Butchipeta, Chenulavalasa and Pothayyavalasa located in Amudalavalasa and Narasannpeta Assembly segments.

In all nine sand reaches, the allowed limit of sand quantity is 33, 05, 500 cubic meters. Due to lack of supervision of police and revenue officials, mining officials are cashing the situation by allowing excavation of more quantity of sand. Previously DLSC planned to install CC cameras at sand ramps to record mining and transportation of sand.

For this purpose, it entered into an agreement with a company, Blue Frag. But the sand mafia influenced the officials with the support of MLAs as a result, CC cameras are yet to be installed. As a result, sand quantity was not measured at ramps which is a boon to mafia to mine and transport more quantity.

"We are planning to allow number of sand reaches in the district to stop illegal mining," District Collector and DLSC Chairman J Nivas told The Hans India. We are supervising mining and transport of sand with CC cameras only at Chenulavalasa where heaps of sand stored, the collector added.