JAGATSINGHPUR: Despite restriction from the administration, illegal sand mining is rampant on the banks of Mahanadi, Chitrotpala, Paika, Devi and other rivers in the district.The illegal activity continues in violation of the Government orders with mafias lifting sand from the riverbed causing threat to the river embankment. Frequent sand lifting and increase in number of brick kilns are also the main reason behind soil erosion in Mahanadi, Devi, Alaka, Biluakhai, Paika and Chitrotpala river banks.
Riverside villagers alleged that due to soil erosion, these rivers are eroding at several places and posing threat to Taladanda and Machhgaon canal embankment. The inhabitants are living in panic as their homestead and agriculture lands are now under threat. Locals said the traders have illegally encroached on the riverbed and government land nearby in Tirtol area to stock huge quantity of sand for selling it to construction agencies. Even some transporters have taken several acres of land from local farmers on lease to stock sand. Though the official concerned is aware of the incident, no step has been taken to check the practice, they said. Environmentalists say that unauthorised sand quarrying has also led to severe soil erosion at several villages in Tirtol, Raghunathpur and Kujang blocks on Mahanadi river downstream.
Illegal sand lifting by influential construction agencies is going on unabated, while river erosion has assumed alarming proportion in the villages of these blocks stretched across the Mahanadi deltaic region. The erosion-hit villagers allege that the local revenue officials are hand in glove with the construction units and builders to carry out the illegal activity.
They said top soil is a non-renewable resource. The riverbed without sand does not retain water and allows it to flow into the sea without recharging groundwater table and irrigation wells. In the long run, it will cripple rain-fed agriculture activities, which in turn will affect economic development of rural areas, they stated.
On Saturday, a squad, led by Tirtol tehsildar Ramesh Chandra Panda and IIC of Tirtol police station Balaram Nayak raided sand lifting units on Mahanadi riverbed at Olagada and Tirtol. The squad seized eight heavy vehicles engaged for illegal lifting of sand from the spot and imposed `25,000 fine on each vehicle owner.