Kerala - Kollam   

Over 200 loads of sand seized by Revenue team

Staff Reporter

Local police were not informed about the raid

CRACKDOWN: The illegally mined sand seized by the Revenue authorities from Kanjiramkadavu in Kollam on Monday.

KOLLAM: A large quantity of sand was seized in a raid against unauthorised sand-mining on Monday morning at Kanjiramkadavu on the Ithikara river.

Kollam tahsildar R. Sudheendran led the raid under direction from Collector B. Srinivas.

Revenue authorities claimed that sand mafia operating from Kanjiramkadavu had been fully busted. More than 200 loads of sand were seized. The raid began at 7 a.m. and lasted till 2 p.m.

The local police were not informed about the raid. Instead, the raiding team was given protection of a group from the Armed Reserve Camp.

When the raiding team reached the site, the whole 200 loads of sand had been auctioned off for Rs.2 lakhs by the mafia. After seizing the sand, the authorities seized five trucks used for transporting the sand and six motors used for mining sand from the riverbed. All those engaged in mining managed to escape when the raiding team arrived at the site.

On Sunday, a group of local people had resisted mining activities and it led to tension in the area. Local police intervened and brought the situation under control. But the mining activities continued.

The local people then submitted a petition to the District Collector pleading for action against the mafia.

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