Kaptipada: In order to put a check on sand smuggling by local mafias from Ambapichhula-Sudusudia quarry at Sundhala area of Badakhaladi mouza under Kaptipada tehsil limits in Mayurbhanj district, local tehsildar imposed Section 144 Saturday.
Acting on instructions of Kaptipada sub-collector Bhagaban Behera, the tehsildar took proactive steps. However, local villagers had alleged about illegal sand quarrying activities going on at the ghat.
Sand was earlier being lifted from 6.4787 hectares of area (plot no.-1286 and khata no.-287) on the Sone riverbed. Kaptipada tehsil administration had earlier warned against lifting sand illegally through public address systems. That said, it fell in deaf ears.
The enforcement squad comprising of Kaptipada tehsildar Radharanjan Dash, additional tehsildar Laxmidhar Nayak, local police ASI BK Sahani, record keeper Atanu Debadarshan Behera and Badakhaladi revenue inspector Bharat Chandra Behera Saturday visited the spot and imposed Section 144.