Illegal sand mining goes on unabated in Mahbubnagar

Mahbubnagar: Despite repeated arrests by the police and penalisation by the revenue officials, the sand mafia is not letting down its activities and further intensifying the illegal sand mining in Koilkonda mandal of Mahbubnagar district.

On Thursday, a sand tipper hit a motor bike causing grave injuries to a villager that triggered protest by the villagers against the illegal sand mining in Koilkonda.

According social activist Diddi Praveen Kuma, the sand mafia has grown stubborn and they know everything inside out and using the legal loopholes and by greasing the hands of police and revenue officials, the sand mafia is escaping the vigilance authorities and carrying out their activities freely and fearlessly.

The sand mafia's activities have increased to such a level that they are running the sand tippers day and night and causing accidents to the residents due to their rash driving. Evident of the situation, on Thursday a sand tipper hit a motor bike rider Govind Nayak of Godugutta thanda of Dammaiahpally village in Koilkonda and caused grave injuries, and it triggered protest by the villagers and demanded the police and revenue authorities from the district to take cognizance of the situation and take immediate action against the illegal sand mining.

"Our social organisation has been continuously raising the issue of illegal sand mining in the district and have even repeatedly representing the district Collector and Superintendent of Police. They have even taken action and issued instructions to the revenue and concerned police authorities and take temporary action against the sand mafia. Earlier action against the corrupt officials was also taken and a Tahasildar Prakash and a revenue inspector Arun were also suspended by collector S Venkat Rao for hand in glove with the sand mafia. However after a brief pause, the sand mafia is once again continuing its activites and there is no one to stop them," said Praveen Kumar.

In Koikonda manal, the sand mafia is once again targeting the Suraram sand reach and illegally stealing the sand from the sand reach by the sand mafia. There are allegations that the revenue and police officials have not changed their attitude and they are once again turning a blind eye against the sand mafia, because of which the sand mafia are running 100s of tippers and tractors and plundering the sand illegally causing huge loss to the government exchequer.