In yet another crackdown on rampant sand-mining in the Neyyar river and its tributaries in the Pozhiyoor-Poovar region, the Neyyattinkara police late Monday seized and destroyed 14 boats that were engaged in smuggling of sand.
This is the third such crackdown in the last two months, during which 74 such illegal sand boats have been destroyed by a police team led by N. Jayakumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Neyyattinkara.
On Monday, based on a tipoff that sand smugglers had returned to the area after a brief lull, a secret raid was organised with even the local police being kept out of the loop so as to prevent news of the raid being leaked to the sand mafia. The tipoff had indicated that the mafia was back to active mining on both shores of the Neyyar. With earlier raids crippling their activities, the mafia had returned with second-hand boats purchased from Tamil Nadu eyeing the huge profits that sale of river sand ensured them, Mr. Jayakumar told The Hindu .
“The profits are so big, which is why they returned despite our raids in November and December during which we destroyed over 40 boats, some of them costing up to Rs.50,000. The activity is so rampant and is destroying the river, with huge craters forming on the riverbed already,” he said.
The raids on Monday, which began around 4 p.m. continued till late into the night, and it was only after the 14 boats were seized that the local police stations were informed about the proceedings. “We are determined to tackle sand mining in this area, which is turning out to be highly detrimental to the environment. Such raids will continue, not just in the Pozhiyoor region but also in other areas adjoining the Neyyar. And if raids and destroying of boats don’t stop them, we will move into more stringent action modes,” Mr. Jayakumar said.
