Illegal Sand Mining Incident in Palamu District: Attack on Mining Department Team
In Palamu district’s Patan police station area, an attack took place on a mining department team late Friday night around 11 PM while they were trying to stop illegal sand extraction at the Jinjoei River. The sand mafia targeted the team, but fortunately, Mining Inspector Shubham Kumar and his team escaped unharmed. The attackers fled after additional forces from Patan police station arrived at the scene.
The raid team managed to arrest one accused and seize a tractor loaded with illegally mined sand. According to reports, local residents had informed the mining department around 11 PM about three tractors loading sand illegally on the riverbank.
Attack with Bricks and Stones
Acting on the information, Mining Inspector Shubham Kumar led a team to the site. As soon as they began the seizure operation, dozens of people attacked them with bricks and stones. Before the team could react, two tractor drivers managed to escape with their vehicles. The raid team retaliated, but the attackers fled under the cover of darkness when additional police reinforcements arrived.
The District Mining Officer stated that under the directive of the Deputy Commissioner, a special campaign is being conducted against illegal mining, storage, and transportation. FIRs are being registered in the Patan police station, and some of the attackers have been identified.
Chakradharpur: Sand Mafia Activities Persist Despite Bloodshed
Despite recent violent incidents over the past few weeks in Lodhai, Gudri, and surrounding areas of the Chakradharpur subdivision, the sand mafia continues their illegal activities unabated. Chakradharpur SDO Shruti Rajlakshmi has been taking daily action against the sand mafia for the past three days, as per orders from the DC.
Late Thursday-Friday night, illegal sand was once again being excavated from Gudri’s riverbanks and transported to Chakradharpur. SDO Shruti Rajlakshmi, already on alert, intercepted and seized four sand-laden tractors. Three of the tractors had no license plates, while one bore the registration number JH 06 K-2065. All the tractors were handed over to the Chakradharpur police station for further action by the mining department.
Uncontrolled Illegal Sand Transportation
Despite these actions, illegal sand transport from Gudri and Goilkera’s Karo River sandbanks in the Podahat area remains rampant. Over 50 tractors loaded with illegal sand are reportedly being transported daily to Chakradharpur via rural roads passing through Raima, Bhardiya, Marashram, Serengda, Gudri, Burugulikera, Lodhai, and Podahat.
In some instances, sand-laden tractors are seen speeding on the main roads of Chakradharpur, sometimes causing accidents. The lack of action against these activities had left locals astonished. However, the administration has now shown increased vigilance following the DC’s directives.
Collusion Between Sand Mafia and Authorities
This issue highlights alleged collusion between the sand mafia and mining officials, a topic of widespread discussion in the area. The illegal sand trade also reportedly involves police and the PLFI (People’s Liberation Front of India), further complicating enforcement efforts.
The administration’s renewed focus on cracking down on the sand mafia has brought some hope of curbing the illegal sand trade, but challenges remain.
