KENDRAPARA: The administration seized 19 trucks and two poclain excavators reportedly engaged in illegal sand mining on the river bed of Chitrotpola at Bichana village under Garadapur tehsil here on Saturday night.
Kendrapara sub-collector Arun Nayak said acting on reliable inputs, the administration raided the river bed and seized the vehicles engaged in lifting sand. The local mafia were using the vehicles to illegally transport sand without obtaining any transit passes from the authorities.
“Drivers of the seized vehicles managed to escape during the raid. We are examining the papers of the vehicles. Fines will be collected from the owners of the vehicles as per law,” said Diptirekha Rout, a police officer of Patkura police station.
On the other hand, residents of Bichana claimed the village roads are in a bad state due to incessant plying of heavy vehicles transporting sand illegally.
“The village road is replete with potholes as many vehicles carrying sand from the river, ply on its every day. Two years back, the road was repaired. But its condition has deteriorated again,” said Sahadev Swain of Bichana.
Many villagers said to meet the rising demand for construction of houses, illegal sand mining has become rampant in the area. While local goons and contractors are extracting sand from the river beds, the authorities have turned a blind eye to the illegal activity. Besides, law and order situation has deteriorated as groups of sand mafia often clash with each other, they added.