GPS to curb illegal sand mining menace: Kothagudem Collector

Kothagudem: District Collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu on Wednesday warned the sand mafia and said that the district administration would take stern action against persons found involved in sand smuggling in the district.

He said in an endeavour to curb the menace of illegal sand mining in, the district administration will be introducing GPS tracking system soon. He was addressing a review meeting with the Revenue, Police, and Mining department officers. The Collector said that to take action, a plan for the prevention of sand smuggling in the district should be ready.

He said it was noticed that the transporters who were lifting the sand from the reaches for the government works purposes, were found involved in sand smuggling using the coupons of the government. To prevent the smuggling we have planned to install the GPS tracking systems in the vehicles in coming days, the Collector said.

He said, in the district, around 51 sand reaches being monitored by the tahsildhars, panchayat secretaries and mining officers. There are three kinds of reaches in the district located at Godavari river, Kinnarasani and other streams, he explained. The Collector asked for co-ordinations of all the departments to prevent the sand smuggling.

He said when the department's officers were conducting the surprises inspections in the reaches they can coordinate and share information with other departments. He asked officials not to misuse the coupons issued for the government works like double bedroom houses, roadworks.

He discussed the new system of the GPS for the transport vehicles and taking the inputs how it works and how to prevent the smuggling sand in that system.

He asked officials not to allow a single person after the 6 pm hereafter in the all reaches. He suggested officials to give one number bill to transporters that is used for billing and weighing for the one system for the prevention of the smuggling.

The District Superintendent of Police Amber Kishore Jha said, the department is doing the checking usually in the district and asked police officials to take serious action against the sand smugglers.

He also said the GPS system is very helpful for prevention of the smuggling. He also suggested arranging the CCTVcameras in and around the reaches for monitoring of the officers any time.

Bhadrachalam Sub-Collector Bhavesh Mishra, Trainee Collector Illa Tripathi, mining project officer Gangadhar Rao and Tahsildars and Station House Officers attended the meeting.