PANAJI: The directorate of mines and geology (DMG) has decided to increase vigilance and take stringent action against those involved in illegal sand extraction in some parts of the state.
“The mines department has conducted a raid at Curtorim and seized six canoes and two pumps. Through this raid, we want to send the message that we are going for strict action,” a senior officer said, adding that DMG will give directions to the Captain of Ports (CoP) to destroy canoes attached during the raid so that they are unable to repeat the illegal act. “We will not give any natural justice to anyone who is involved in the illegal act and tampering with nature.”
The senior official also said that the department wants people to think twice before getting involved in illegal sand extraction and that sand recovered during raids will be put back in the river bed. He also said that culprits involved in illegal sand extraction manage to run away when they see department staff approaching by boats, but that their team still goes ahead and seize boats while recovering sand which is illegal extracted.
TOI has regularly reported and published photographs of illegal sand extraction in rivers across Goa. A recent report highlighted the Khandepar river which is the main source of raw water for the Opa water treatment plant supplying potable water to Tiswadi and Ponda talukas, as being under threat due to rampant and illegal sand mining in Collem, which is part of the eco-sensitive area of the Western Ghats.
As per the National Green Tribunal (NGT) direction, legal sand extraction can take place at the Chapora river and the north Goa collector will soon apply for environmental clearance to start legal sand extraction. The NGT had ordered sand extraction banned in the state. The state government was pulled up by NGT for alleged cases of illegal sand mining. The government’s plea to exempt Goa from the ban on sand extraction since it has effective regulatory mechanism in place, was rejected by NGT.
Earlier, the government had identified 30 sites for sand extraction in a bid to ensure scientific quarrying of the mineral for construction purposes. The state had asked the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) to conduct a detailed study so that sand extraction can be permitted.
In January 2020, the high court of Bombay at Goa asked the state government to indicate steps taken to implement its judgement to stop illegal sand mining in Goa. The Goa river sand protection network (GRSPN) filed a contempt petition in the high court and placed on record several photographs, “which suggest that sand mining is continuing and there is at least prima facie some deficit in the manner of action on the part of the authorities”.