Illegal sand transporters attack officials

KARIMNAGAR: Illegal transporters of sand attacked revenue staff, who objected to their operations, at Pashigam, where unauthorised quarrying was taking place, in Dharmapuri mandal on Sunday.Based on a complaint lodged by the revenue staff, Dharmapuri police registered cases against owners of the vehicles used in illegal transportation.The latest attack was the second in a fortnight. About 15 days ago illegal operators had chased a team of revenue officials who went to check the illegal activity at Khajeepur and tried to attack them. The government officials ran for their lives and managed to escape.According to sources, there is massive illegal sand mining going unabated at Pashigam and Boru hills. Hundreds of trucks transport heavy loads of sand from the hills to Hyderabad everyday.According to the mines and geology department, there are only three sand quarries which have permission in the district. These are located at Potyala in Ramagundam mandal, Mattaraopet and Matyala in Velgatoor mandal. All others are functioning illegally. Revenue authorities also sanction  permission for sand quarrying from local streams for taking up government works like Indiramma houses.But the contractors resort to illegal sand mining from these places. Of late, the sand mafia has even begun attacking revenue staff who are objecting to their activities.According to sources, everyday hundreds of lorries and tractors transport sand illegally from Khajeepur in Karimnagar mandal, Nustulapur in Timmapur mandal and Narayanapur vagu in Sultanabad mandal.Geologists and agriculturalists fear that indiscriminate sand mining can lead to ecological imbalance and lowering of  ground water levels.District collector Smita Sabharwal, at a recent meeting, directed revenue authorities to register criminal cases against contractors involved in illegal sand quarrying and check it with the help of the police.