Despite the ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on illegal sand mining on river beds after UP cadre IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal was suspended for a cradckdown on the sand mafia, the practice seems to be rampant in Adilabad district.
According to official sources, in 2010, the administration issued tenders for contracts pertaining to sand mining on river beds, valid till 2012, at Rs 6.66 crore but business was done illegally taking the amount to Rs 18 crore. After this, the government has not issued any tender notices and after 2012, the government has incurred losses to the tune of Rs 18 crore in the district due to illegal mining.
On Saturday, Mancherial mandal revenue officer (MRO) seized as many as 15 tractors which were illegally transporting sand along Rallyvagu and Godavari rivers.
Illegal sand transporation has been on a rise ever since the heavy rains lashed the state. Sand is being illegaly transported to places like Adilabad, Warangal, Hyderabad and to places as far as neighbouring Maharashtra.
According to sources, people in the district have resorted to agitations in this regard and have also submitted many memoranda to the mining and revenue officials. But, their pleas have always fallen on deaf ears.
They alleged that only 20 cases have been filed against the perpetuators in the last two years. They also allege that the groundwater levels, which had seen a rise due to recent heavy rains, are again on the decline due to the illegal mining and demanded the government to take action.
An official on condition of anonymity said that one truck-load of sand roughly costs around Rs 25,000. Illegal sand mining worth Rs 25 lakh takes places across several districts on a regular basis. The contractors are offered an amount of Rs 70,000 as royalty, he said.