Vijayawada: The sand mafia used to quarry the sand manually and transport it in tractors, which costs around Rs 1,500 per tractor. Lorries would then carry the sand onwards at a cost of Rs 7,000 per load.
The end customer used to pay Rs 16,000 per lorry. The High Court order will bring down costs as a lorry can transport the sand from the fields to its final destination for Rs 9,000, benefiting customers as well as farmers. But this limits the power and revenue of the sand mafia.
The sand mafia used to quarry sand from government lands free of cost and escalate prices as per their wish.
Last year, in some parts of the state, one lorry load of sand cost Rs 35,000. This prompted the CM to send a warning to party leaders who were involved in the sand business. In several parts of the state, the sand mafia had gone to the extent of resorting to attacks on locals who opposed them.
The CM has tried to address the problem in several ways. Sustainable sand mining management guidelines indicated that removal of sand deposits on agricultural fields after floods by the farmers is permitted.
A senior leader, who joined the TD recently, suggested that a case be filed against the Bode Prasad group in the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The NGT directed the authorities not to allow machine excavation and entry of heavy vehicles and lorries to the sand quarries. As a result, the sand was loaded on tractors manually. This procedure increased sand prices and allowed the mafia to enter into the picture in most parts of the State.
However, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has given exemption of certain cases being considered as mining for the purpose of requirement of environmental clearance.
