JAGATSINGHPUR: In the intervening night of November 25 and 26, a large enforcement squad of Jagatsinghpur administration, swooped down on Kilipal quarry located on Mahanadi river in Tirtol block of the district. The squad which comprised DIG Satyajit Naik, collector J Sonal and SP Ankit Kumar Verma confiscated 46 Hyvas and chain-mounted excavators from the riverbed while arresting six persons. As the dawn arrived, the scale of illegal sand mining could be comprehended.
Kilipal quarry is spread over 13 acre and leased to Saroj Kumar Mohanty for five years from July 24, 2024. As per lease terms, the lessee was allowed to extract 15,150 cubic metre of sand annually, roughly about 73 cubic metre a day for 210 days. Investigation suggested that about 10 times the approved limit, translating to 750 cubic metre of sand, was being mined every day.
About two weeks later, on December 11, the Jagatsinghpur administration went in for another crackdown under state government’s ‘Balu Bajra’ initiative aimed at curbing illegal sand mining. This time it was at Jaipur under Raghunathpur tehsil. The river was Mahanadi again. At least 38 excavators and earth movers were seized. The modus operandi was the same.
Encouraged by the success of ‘Balu Bajra’, as the district administration casts its enforcement net wide, a relentlessly organised network of sand smuggling has emerged from beneath the sand. Operating in plain sight for years together, right under the nose of the administration and with sanction of political powers, illegal sand mining has turned into a monster and extracts a huge environment cost.
According to official estimates, the Kilipal lessee paid Rs 46.20 lakh towards royalty and fees during 2025–26 financial year. However, investigation suggested the quarry owner extracted sand worth Rs 7.5 lakh a day. Over approximately 210 working days, the turnover was estimated at Rs 15.75 crore. This is just one quarry. Jagatsinghpur district has 27 sand quarries operating across Mahanadi, Chitroptala, Paika and Devi river systems, which means the revenue leakage runs into hundreds of crores of rupees.
Inaction and oversight
With Odisha witnessing an infrastructure boom, demand for sand has ballooned. So has illegal mining. For years, locals, environmentalists and media have flagged the rampant sand lifting from the quarries. Most of it was responded with occasional raids, seizure of trucks or tractors but the network continued to run. Allegations of involvement of powerful persons and political leaders mounted but comprehensive action remained elusive.
District Congress president Debaprasad Nayak is blunt. “Everyone knows who is involved but no action was taken due to political protection and money power. This deepened public distrust as rivers, farmlands and water bodies continued to degrade. The state government and administration must act now,” he said.
Under Odisha Minor Minerals Concession (OMMC) Rules, 2023, quarry operators must prepare an approved mining plan, obtain environmental clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, secure consent from the State Pollution Control Board, and maintain approach roads to minimise pollution and public inconvenience.
At Kilipal, violations were blatant. Poorly maintained access roads, dust pollution and road damage are common issues. Enforcement by pollution control authorities is rarely seen. Excessive excavation has led to deep sand pits. In a recent incident, three students from Itatikiri village under Krishnanandapur police limits drowned in a pit formed due to sand extraction from Paika river.
Past patterns raise question. Jagatsinghpur has a long incidence list of theft of oil, coal, iron ore and pilferage from IOCL pipelines but the major players behind organised crimes have evaded action. Senior officials admit that unless financial trails and ownership structures are pursued, the present case could meet the same fate.
Investigators are examining whether extortion networks are linked to sand smuggling. In August, Biridi police arrested six persons for allegedly demanding Rs 10 lakh from a sand bidder. Around the same time, the sarpanch of Galdhari panchayat under Naugaon police limits was arrested for allegedly demanding Rs 5 lakh from another bidder.
Impact on environment
Officials said the sand extraction was carried out well beyond the approved lease boundary of Kilipal sairat. GPS-based mapping conducted on-site revealed mining activity extending 233 metre to 304 metre outside the permitted area. Even restricted zones were not spared. The excavation depth was also found to have exceeded limits prescribed under environmental clearance conditions.
Despite years of sand lifting, uproar over riverbed erosion and change in river course, very little attention has been paid to the impact of illegal mining. Locals frequently claim that excessive extraction has affected groundwater table and farmlands but no assessment was made. With rivers crisscrossing Jagatsinghpur, the district has borne the brunt of flood as well as coastal inundation but never has the government chosen to study the impact of mining on river ecosystems, vulnerability to floods despite huge loss to the state exchequer.
“Sand is not an endless resource. Unchecked extraction weakens natural resilience and invites disaster. The sand mafia has eaten up our riverbanks. Our farmlands are slowly sinking. This raid gives us hope but justice must not stop at the riverbed,” says Parthsarthi Sahoo, a resident of Balipatana village.
Administrative accountability
The current spate of action offers hope because the Jagatsinghpur administration has acted tough against officials at key supervisory positions. Show-cause notices were slapped on the deputy director, minor minerals (Jajpur) and the district mining officer after the raids.
Earlier this week, Jagatsinghpur police registered a case against the district mining officer and two leaseholders for their alleged involvement in illegal sand mining across different sairat sources. The case was registered basing on the FIR lodged by Jagatsinghpur sub-collector Prasant Kumar Tarai following raids at Kilipal and Jaipur. The FIR mentioned that large-scale illegal mining was being carried out possibly with nexus of the mining officer with leaseholders and other elements.
Tirtol SDPO Chinmaya Rout said police registered a case in connection with the Kilipal quarry and are verifying vehicle ownership, machinery procurement and financial transactions. “The investigation is ongoing and will not be limited to the drivers,” he said.