Act tough on illegal sand mining: Chittoor JC

CHITTOOR: Chittoor district Joint Collector P Srinivasulu directed the panchayat secretaries, VROs and VRAs to ensure no wastage is dumped into canals and streams.

He asked them to act tough on those resorting to illegal sand mining. Along with officials from the department of Mines, Panchayat, Pollution Control Board, SEB, Excise, Ground water and Irrigation departments, he visited sand reaches at Vavilthota and north Brahmana Palli in Puthalapattu and Thavanampalle mandals respectively on Tuesday. On the occasion, the JC said that following the guidelines of the Supreme Court and the subsequent orders of the State government, the 13 sand reaches identified by the government were inspected. While the Collector will be the chairman of the sand reaches committee, JC will be the vice-chairman. The approvals given to the sand reaches in the past have expired. By seeing the waste in streams and other places, he asked the panchayat secretaries, VROs and others, why they did not prevent them as it is their responsibility to protect the government properties.

VRAs should visit the sand reaches twice daily and cases are to be filed on those transporting the sand illegally. There should be vigilance on the illegal transport other than house construction purposes. A warning board has to be set up at the reaches in this regard.