24x7 CCTVs, cops at check posts to nail sand mafia: Collector

Nagpur: Declaring an all out crackdown on sand smugglers, district collector Vipin Itankar on Monday said CCTV surveillance feed from 42 permanent check posts would be broadcast live at his office premises for direct vigilance. Moreover, the check posts would be manned by cops and revenue personnel round-the-clock.
Itankar, an alumnus of Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital, said he had detailed discussion with SP (Rural) Vishal Anand Singuri about invoking provisions like Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act (MPDA) and Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) against the sand smugglers.
“We will slap stringent sections of the Indian Penal Code, environmental pollution Acts and other provisions in the law against sand mafia. As collector, I am empowered to give sanction to MPDA cases too,” said Itankar, adding he would even consider issuing arms licenses to tehsildars and their ranks if they perceive threat to life from sand smugglers.
The district administration and police department have separately as well as jointly started focused crackdown on sand smugglers following deputy CM and home minister Devendra Fadnavis go ahead to breaking the backbone of sand mafia.
Itankar said he would replicate Nanded pattern in Nagpur, which he had first used during his stint there to tackle the sand mafia.
The collector said, “Permanent check posts are being set up at strategic places and points near riverbeds or sand ghats through which any vehicle would have to pass through. These vehicles would be checked there itself and the CCTVs would beam entire action live to the collectorate.”
Itankar, an IAS of 2014 batch, also said he intends to seek feed from the CCTVs at toll nakas from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). “Specific target would be big fishes and not smaller fries,” said the former demonstrator at the forensic department of Chandigarh Government Medical College and Hospital.
Itankar also said he plans to deploy drones to keep tab on the sand mafia goons. “We will use technologies which would also stand the test of law before the court,” he said.
The collector said he has already urged the RTO to take action on tractors and trolleys plying on roads without numbers, as such vehicles are mostly used to carry out illegal activities. “The district administration is urging all farmers and rural population to not allow stocking of illegally excavated sand in front of or on their premises, which would now attract legal action. No one should help the sand mafia,” said Itankar, adding auctions of the sand ghats would start soon.
Itankar said he is coordinating with his Bhandara counterpart. “Most of the stolen sand enters Nagpur district through Mouda from Bhandara. We would also contact Madhya Pradesh administration for exchange of inputs,” he said.