VIJAYAWADA: The Krishna district administration has imposed a ban on sand mining in the Krishna River from June 1 to October 15 in line with National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines for the monsoon season, while intensifying surveillance and enforcement measures to curb illegal excavation and transportation. Authorities have also stocked nearly 10 lakh metric tonnes of sand in designated stockyards to ensure uninterrupted supply to consumers during the restriction period.
District Collector DK Balaji issued the directions while chairing a meeting of the District-Level Sand Committee at the Collectorate on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Superintendent of Police V Vidyasagar Naidu, Joint Collector M Naveen and officials from various departments.
The Collector said the restrictions have been enforced in accordance with NGT and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change guidelines, which prohibit sand mining during the monsoon season. He warned that strict action would be taken against individuals involved in illegal sand mining or transportation.
To prevent any shortage during the four-and-a-half-month ban period, the district administration has stocked nearly 10 lakh metric tonnes of sand in nine designated stockyards across the district. Sand will be supplied round the clock through authorised agencies to meet public demand.
Balaji directed officials to ensure that sand is transported only through authorised stockyards and not directly from river reaches. He stressed that every vehicle carrying sand must possess an online-generated bill containing details such as date, time, stockyard information, consumer name and vehicle number.