The Forest Department has registered cases against two contractors after their employees mined sand from a dry riverbed in a reserve forest area near Kovai Courtallam in Coimbatore on Friday.
Officials informed
The department took the action after nature enthusiasts drew the attention of the district administration and revenue officials.
According to members of Coimbatore Wildlife Conservation Trust (CWCT), at least 12 loads of sand were mined from the dry riverbed at Periyathupallam, near Vellapathi, using an earthmover and transported from the reserve forest limit.
The sand loads were reportedly transported to a nearby place where works for constructing a check dam is under way.
Permitted
“After finding the illegal mining activity going on, we informed the personal assistant to the District Collector and tahsildar on Friday. Though some officials came to the place, they did not visit the actual place of mining but chose to visit the office of the Forest Range Officer, Pooluvampatti, under whose control the forest area falls. The forest officials also permitted the violators to take out the sand loads,” said P. Shanmugasundaram of CWCT.
He also raised suspicion of a nexus between the sand miners and the Forest Department as earthmover and tractors were permitted inside the reserve forest area.
Detained
On Saturday, following pressure from various quarters, forest officials said that they had detained two drivers of the contractors in connection with the incident.
“It was found that the illegally mined sand was taken to a nearby check dam construction site.
The Forest Range Officer has been instructed to take strict action against the violators against whom cases have been registered,” said D. Venkatesh, District Forest Officer.