‘Officials keeping mum on sand mafia’

Srikakulam: Vamsadhara floods exposed the illegal sand mining in the district, but local officials are trying to hush-up the issue.

On July 15 night, flood water level increased in Vamsadhara river by that time sand was being loaded into 25 lorries by four earth movers and all the vehicles, including 53 workers, were stranded in the water.

Issue came to light in the early hours of July 16 and workers were rescued from the river, but vehicles stranded in the water.

As per mining rules using earth movers for sand excavation is illegal and transportation with lorries also against rules.

Indiscriminate sand mining with heavy machinery was continuing at Purusottapuram reach in Vamsadhara river.

Sand was being transported to Visakhapatnam for commercial purpose which was defeated the aim of the government in implementing free sand policy.

Followers of the TDP leaders from Purusottapuram, Kottavalasa, Chittivalasa, Fareedpeta and other villages in different mandals were supervising the reach.

In Purusottapuram reach, 25 lorries belong to persons from Visakhapatnam and four earth movers are owned by those who hail from Singupuram and Ponnam villages in Srikakulam rural mandal.

“We lodged a complaint with police against the owners of lorries and earth movers”, mines assistant director Gundu Sivaji told The Hans India.

“Police already seized two earth movers”, Sarubujjili tahasildar M James explained to this newspaper.

“We are inquiring and later only, we will register cases”, Amudalavalasa CI S Aadam elaborated to this newspaper.

On the other hand local youth staged agitation under the aegis of Parivarthan Trust and its founder Chintada Ravi Kumar demanding action against the actual culprits in illegal sand mining.