State defies SC on illegal sand mining, says Congress

WARANGAL: The Congress on Thursday alleged that in violation of the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal stay orders, administration of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district has permitted contractors to mine sand from quarries in Venkatraopally and Kalavalapalli sand reaches of Manair River.

Protesting against the sand mining, the Congress workers led by Bhupalpally assembly segment in-charge G. Satyanarayana Rao staged a rasta roko on Thursday at the mandal headquarters in Tekumatla of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district demanding that district collector Bavesh Misra take action against those mining and smuggling sand illegally.

Speaking on the occasion, Satyanarayana alleged that local BRS MLA Gandra Venkataramana Reddy, in collusion with officials of the district, is carrying out illegal sand mining. He said while officials do not permit locals to take even a tractor load of sand for constructing their house, they are letting the MLA’s people lift sand in hundreds of lorries every day.

The Congress leader feared that such mining up to three to four metres of depth will deplete the groundwater levels in the area and cause a huge loss for future generations.

He warned that If district authorities do not stop illegal sand mining, Congress party, along with farmers and Manair Parirakshana Samithi, will intensify the movement and teach the state government a fitting lesson.

Congress party leaders K. Satish, Y. Ravinder, B. Srikanth, Kiran, T. Kumar, M. Narendar, Rajaiah, Srinivas, Raju, Anil, Satish, Ramesh, Ravi, Odelu, Mogili, Swamy, Prabhakar, Manohar and Ajay were among those present.