Date:24/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/24/stories/2006082423620300.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Rural police crackdown on sand-mining

Staff Reporter

Seize 50 loads of illegally mined sand, eight lorries; arrest 12

THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT: Illegally-mined river sand that was seized by revenue authorities at Thrikannapuram in Thiruvananthapuram district. Photo: S. Mahinsha

Thiruvananthapuram: The Rural police have started cracking down on illegal sand-mining operations in Neyyar. In the past one week, the police seized more than 50 truckloads of illegally extracted river sand in Neyyatinkara police subdivision alone. Eight lorries used for ferrying the sand were confiscated and at least 12 persons arrested on the charge of violating the Mines and Minerals Regulation Act.

However, the police find the anti-sand mining drive to be an increasingly uphill task.

S. Suresh Kumar, Circle Inspector of Police, said that more than 500 persons were involved in illegal river sand mining in Neyyatinkara, Parassala and Poovar police station limits alone. More than 100 country boats and at least 300 divers were involved in the operations that take place mostly at night. The boats were not registered and have no license to operate.

60 landing centres

There were at least 60 landing centres from where the illegally extracted sand is spirited away in lorries. High profits are luring more people into the illegal trade. Experienced divers carry out the sand-mining operations in pitch darkness. The Rural police have no boats to patrol rivers and inland water bodies to prevent the illegal activity.

The police were examining whether there was any legal provision to seize and destroy unlicensed boats used for illegal sand mining. "Such measures would help curb sand mining to a big extend," an official said. Those arrested for sand-mining are also being booked for theft under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code.

The sand mafia uses informants to know police movements in advance. Senior official suspected that the mafia has informants even among policemen. The primary informants are motorcycle-borne youth equipped with mobile phones. They linger in the vicinity of police stations and tail police vehicles to find out in which direction patrol teams are headed. The police have started deploying men in plainclothes and using private vehicles to beat the sand mafia at its own game. Those who profit from illegal sand-mining also contribute heavily to political parties and have the patronage of certain politicians.

The illegal extraction of sand is also posing a serious threat to the environment. The digging for sand has caused the destabilisation of the riverbank.