Rajahmundry: Vigilance and enforcement authorities raided a sand reach in the early hours on Thursday and nabbed five persons, besides seizing machinery worth Rs 1 crore for a series of violations in extraction of sand from Godavari riverbed at Gudala of Polavaram mandal in West Godavari.
According to West Godavari vigilance and enforcement SP K. Bala Venkateswara Rao, the raids were conducted following a tip-off about extraction of sand using dredgers from 12 am to 5 am at the Gudala sand reach, in violation of the norms. According to the norms, no machinery shall be used to dredge the sand. The authorities nabbed five persons and seized a boat fitted with a dredger, two poclains, two trucks, 30 units of sand and Rs 36,000.
The men were booked for violation of GO 42, AP Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and also River Conservancy Act. They were also booked under non-bailable sections and handed over to the local police for further action.
