Sambalpur: Rampant sand mining from Mahanadi riverbed here has not only bled the state government of crores of revenue but has also affected the construction activities in this district, said sources.
The sand mafia use heavy equipment like JCB, Poclain and Hyva to illegally extract and transport the sand from the riverbed. The sand smugglers are active mostly during night to take advantage of the darkness. They also transport the smuggled sand to places outside the district by using Hyvas.
This apart, huge craters formed due to sand mining through machines have affected the water flow of the river and caused erosion of the embankments.
Sources said over 50 Hyvas could be seen standing in queue at Kamagaon sand ghat under Maneswar tehsil every day. The sand is smuggled via Bheden tehsil in Bargarh district which is on the other side of the river.
Locals alleged that callous attitude of the tehsil authorities has led to this situation which in turn has resulted in loss of revenue worth crores to the state exchequer.
Smuggling of sand to other districts has led to shortage of the minor mineral while its price has also skyrocketed in recent times. Locals alleged that some political leaders are hand in glove with the sand smugglers due to which the latter are carrying out the illegal act with impunity.
It is learnt that thousands of people residing in riparian villages are largely depended on the river ecosystem. However, their livelihood has been severely affected by the activities of sand mafia over the years.
Locals said sand traders have encroached upon the riverbed of Mahanadi where huge stockpile of sand is seen. They are hoarding the sand to sell it at a premium during monsoon, when extraction of sand is very difficult.
Lifting of sand begins in October after the end of monsoon. Most of the sand smugglers are from nearby areas while a few are from other parts of the district. Residents claimed sand smuggling could be checked to a great extent if both Maneswar and Bheden tehsil authorities could conduct regular raids and collect royalty from the sand trucks.
When contacted, Bheden tehsildar Anil Hota said steps are being taken to check sand smuggling from the riverbed.