Representatives of civil society groups, including Swami Srinivasananda of Srikakulam Citizens Forum, Baratam Kameswara Rao and Pappala Jagannatham, on Tuesday demanded that the government impose a ban on sand mining in the district, as Rs. 2,000-crore worth sand was being illegally transported to other districts in the last two years. They said hundreds of tractors and lorries transported sand from Nagavali and Vamsadhara rivers without taking prior permission from the authorities. Mr. Srinivasananda urged District Collector Gaurav Uppal to set up a task force to control illegal transport of sand. “Officials failed to stop illegal mining though many complaints were lodged over the menace,” he added.
