Govt to curb illegal sand mining, transport in Nizamabad

Nizamabad: With a view to strengthen its activities to prevent the illegal sand quarrying and transportation in Nizamabad district, the district administration has pressed seven revenue teams into work and set up three check-posts at various places.

District Collector Yogita Rana said in the wake of several allegations of illegal sand quarrying and transportation in Bodhan division, seven teams with Tahsildars and revenue officials of Nizamabad and Kamareddy division were appointed to conduct surprise raids and establish three check-posts at Narsingraopallli and Boggugudise in Nizamsagar mandal, and Janakampet in Yedapalli mandal to control the illegal sand business.

Rana said these teams conducted several raids in the last few days and booked 17 cases and seized 32 vehicles. Earlier they imposed only penalties on overload of sand transportation, but now sand theft and criminal cases were being booked against them. The Collector said taskforce committees comprising revenue, panchayatraj, police and other department officials at division and mandal levels imposed ban on sand transportation between 8 pm to 7 am in Nizamabad district.

She said the three-member committee with RDO, DSP and Mines AD should conduct enquiry in TSMDC-allotted quarries and find out the quantity of sand being dig by contractors from quarry and any irregularities that were taking place in mining. The Collector informed that in the last two months the TSMDC obtained Rs 8.11 crore revenue through sand mining in private patta lands. Out of this total benefit, the landlord gets Rs 3.64 crore and the government will get the remaining Rs 4.47 crore.