Directing officials of the Revenue, Police, Mines, and Geology departments to take measures to ensure that contractors of sand extraction blocks on river banks function as per the rules, Deputy Commissioner K.B. Sivakumar said the agreements with contractors for sand extraction would be scrapped if they were found operating in contravention of the guidelines.
As extraction of sand in authorised blocks will commence in the district shortly following the receding of water in the major rivers, a meeting of the district-level task force on sand was held in the city on Saturday to discuss measures to prevent illegal transportation of sand and to streamline the functioning of authorised extraction blocks. Mr. Sivakumar, who chaired it, said surveillance cameras should be installed at all sand extraction blocks and check-posts. Visuals captured should be examined at the jurisdictional police station once a week. He said one personnel from Department of Mines and Geology and one Home Guard should be deputed at each check-post.
Expressing displeasure over the delay in implementation of the order that makes it mandatory to install GPS in vehicles transporting sand, he said fines to the tune of five times the value of the sand being transported should be imposed on owners of vehicles illegally transporting sand. He also said cases should be booked against them. Mr. Sivakumar also directed officials to repair the roads that connect to the authorised sand extraction blocks.
