Illegal sand mining on the pretext of transporting it for Mallannasagar project is dealing a serious dent to the State exchequer and harming the environment in the catchment areas of Moyathummeda rivulet in Bejjanki mandal.
On the pretext of transporting sand to Kaleshwaram project, the sand mafia is reportedly moving sand illegally to the real estate ventures in Hyderabad and Karimnagar. Though villagers are up in arms against the illegal transportation of sand, the ‘sand mafia’ is threatening to kill them under the speeding wheels of tractors and trucks.
Already, the sand mafia completed lifting sand from Gagillapur village and presently sand is being transported from Devakkapalli and Thotapalli villages. Every day hundreds of huge trucks and tractors transport the sand illegally from the rivulet in collusion with the local representatives, police and revenue officials. Several hundreds of trucks and tractors are seen waiting in serpentine queues adjoining Rajiv Rahadhari near Thotapally to load the sand and transport it illegally to Hyderabad, Siddipet and Karimnagar.
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Janardhan Reddy, a villager from Bejjanki mandal, said that they were scared of stopping illegal sand mining in the Moyathummeda rivulet as the sand mafia was in collusion with the authorities concerned. “The online booking of sand is a farce as the sand mafia is supplying the material at the doorsteps of the realtors. In the wake of monsoons the sand is being stored at various locations and dumps illegally in Karimnagar town and other places,” he alleged.
Ironically, it is being done right in front of the LMD police station on Rajiv Rahadhari in Thimmapur mandal, said Bhaskar Reddy. The government is losing several crores of rupees through illegal sand mining in the region, he added.