Alleging apathy on the part of the police in checking illegal sand mining, a grama panchayat in Kozhikode district has approached District Collector Snenhil Kumar Singh, seeking his immediate intervention in the issue. Kodiyathur grama panchayat president Divya Shibu submitted a complaint to Mr. Singh, stating that reckless sand mining was creating huge environmental impact on the banks of the Iruvazhinji river apart from posing a threat to the lives of nearby residents.
The local body head, who expressed serious concerns over sand mining, said its impact was severe during the previous monsoon seasons when the river bank caved in at several locations. She said the illegal activity was mostly conducted during the midnight hours.
“Local residents and our elected members are scared of handling the issue independently as criminals are suspected to be a part of the sand mining gangs. Only the police or the Revenue department authorities can do something to end this,” Ms. Shibu told The Hindu on Monday. She said the complaint sent to the District Collector on March 20 has not yet evoke a favourable response.
According to the local body members from Kodiyathur, at least 20 to 25 loads of sand are being carted off on a daily basis. Secret paths have been created to reach the riverbanks safely and carry out the illegal loading work. Ward numbers 12 and 13 were the most exploited locations where the intervention of the police or Revenue department authorities would be crucial, they added.
The deployment of a large number of migrant workers is another strategy adopted by the sand miners. The workers are least bothered by the local residents’ protest and resistance. The villagers said local traders and politicians were not involved in the illegal mining and the workers were controlled by persons outside the district.
The local body members alleged that the police officers from Mukkom station were evasive whenever their help was sought to escort the panchayat authorities to overexploited sites for direct verification. “The secret paths that we blocked after site inspections were reopened again by the sand miners,” they added.
Meanwhile, police officers from the Mukkom station declined to respond to the allegations and the complaints raised by the panchayat authorities. They said they had records to prove the action initiated against illegal sand mining attempts.
