Sand mafia on active mode, administration turns blind eye in Cuttack

It is alleged that the sand mafia have employed heavy equipment such as JCB and proclain machines to lift sand from Mahanadi river system and then transporting it to other districts.

Heavy equipment being used for lifting of sand from a riverbed. (Photo | Express)

CUTTACK: Before monsoon picks up, the sand mafia have hit the active mode by indulging in sand lifting from different riverbeds and stacking the same on roadside agricultural fields and nearby localities. Moreover, sand lifting is being done in gross violation of government guidelines in Cuttack district with local tehsildars turing a blind eye by failing to impose necessary enforcement.

It is alleged that the sand mafia have employed heavy equipment such as JCB and proclain machines to lift sand from Mahanadi river system and then transporting it to other districts. They are also hoarding sand, so that they can sell at a premium rate when extraction from riverbeds becomes impossible due to rise in water level.

Huge pile of sand can be seen at different roadside land, as the sand mafia have taken some patches of agricultural land on rent basis to stack sand where government land is not available. Locals alleged that due to the callous attitude of the local tehsildars such a situation has happened, which in turn has resulted in loss of revenue worth crores to the state exchequer.

ADM (Revenue) Purna Chandra Mishra, however, told that tehsildars have been instructed to carry out enforcement to curb the illegal sand mining. Meanwhile, due to sand mining by using heavy equipment is affecting the water flow of the river, resulting in formation of huge crates and also causing erosion of the river embankments. Besides the plying of overloaded Hywa trucks are damaging the roads and causing frequent accidents.

Three days back, a sand laden Hywa truck ran over a 52 year-old man at Tilakana under Nemalo police station limits. Villagers of Demandua had blocked road on June 20 protesting the inaction of Nischintakoili tehsildar to curb excess sand lifting.

As per official reports, there are around 100 sand sairats of Mahanadi river and its branches Kathajodi, Chitroptala, Luna and Birupa passing through the district. While 14 have no potential and are likely to be shut, five are under subjudice and 18 sairats are pending for environment clearance, the rest 63 sairats are now operating.

A majority of the 63 sand sairats are located within the jurisdiction of Cuttack Sadar, Salipur, Nischintakoili, Kishan Nagar and Mahanga tehsils. Although the district administration is claiming to be operating 63 sand sairats, it is believed above 30 more sand sairats are operating illegally by the sand mafia.