Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Sand seized in anti-mining drive

Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a day-long anti-mining drive at the Neyyattinkara and Chengal villages, a team of Revenue officials led by Revenue Development Officer (RDO) K.V. Mohankumar seized 25 canoes laden with illegally mined sand on Friday.

The seized canoes have been taken to the police quarters compound at Neyyattinkara. The sand was taken to the Neyyattinkara taluk office.

Mr. Mohankumar said here that heavy sand-mining in the Poovar area has left deep pits on the banks of the river. "We have found that the sand mafia buys of land near the banks for Rs.18,000 a cent. From each cent of land they are able to mine sand worth Rs.1.25 lakh. I have asked the local revenue officials at Neyyattinkara and Chengal to prepare a list of those who sold and bought land in this manner. Action will be taken under section 20 of the Protection of River Banks and Regulation of Sand-Mining Act against those who bough land for the purpose of sand-mining," he said.

A team of 100 policemen led by Neyyattinkara DySP P.K. Ramachandran also participated in the raid.

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