Mahabubnagar: The illegal sand trade continues unchecked in Mahabubnagar, with the sand mafia allegedly operating in collusion with local police, revenue, and mining officials. Despite repeated complaints and directives from higher authorities, the mafia is freely supplying sand at exorbitant prices, looting the government’s valuable resources and causing significant revenue loss to the exchequer.

Social activist Diddi Praveen Kumar, who has been persistently raising concerns about this issue, has accused the administration of failing to take concrete measures to curb the illegal sand trade. According to him, while senior officials, including the Mahabubnagar SP and District Collector, have issued multiple orders to regulate sand supply, lower-cadre police and revenue officials only act temporarily. After a brief crackdown, the illegal sand business resumes as usual, creating a cycle of corruption and exploitation.

Sources indicate that the sand mafia is thriving due to the direct involvement of corrupt officials within the police, revenue, and mining departments. Instead of ensuring fair and legal distribution, these officials allegedly allow the mafia to create an artificial shortage, leading to inflated prices that burden the common people. Residents and contractors who require sand for construction purposes are left with no choice but to pay exorbitant amounts due to these artificial supply restrictions. Activists claim that a well-planned nexus between sand mafia operators and corrupt officials is manipulating the system, ensuring that only those willing to pay higher, unofficial rates can access sand.

Diddi Praveen Kumar has strongly urged the government to implement strict regulations and ensure that sand is supplied to the public at affordable and standardized rates. He stressed that the entire sand supply system must be brought under government control and strictly monitored by the police and revenue departments to prevent illegal activities. He further warned that if the authorities fail to take concrete and sustained action, the mafia will continue exploiting loopholes, creating artificial scarcities, and overcharging the public. "Unless sand supply is streamlined with a well-monitored distribution system, corrupt officials will keep supporting the mafia, and the public will continue to suffer," he stated.

While the government has taken temporary actions in response to public complaints, these efforts have not been effective in completely eradicating the illegal sand trade. Activists are calling for a long-term solution, including strict enforcement of sand supply regulations by law enforcement agencies, constant surveillance and monitoring of sand excavation and transportation, and a crackdown on corrupt officials found supporting the mafia. They demand that the government establish a controlled sand distribution system to ensure fair pricing and prevent black-market operations.

Unless decisive action is taken, activists fear that the unchecked looting of government resources will continue, leading to further losses for the state and financial exploitation of the public. They demand that authorities move beyond short-term crackdowns and implement a robust, corruption-free monitoring mechanism to eliminate the sand mafia’s grip over Mahabubnagar’s sand trade.