Sand Mining to Begin in Birbhum District from Nov 1, Cheaper Sand for Customers

Pandaveswar: Sand mining will begin from the sand ghats of Birbhum district starting November 1. District Magistrate Dhaval Jain has issued an official notification. The administration claims that opening the ghats will resolve the sand crisis and common people will get sand at much cheaper rates. According to informed sources, along with the reopening of legal ghats, smuggling from illegal sand ghats is likely to regain momentum. Following political changes in the state, the administration took several steps to curb large-scale sand smuggling. However, in reality, completely eradicating smuggling has not been possible. Although legal sand ghats have been closed for three months, sand smuggling has not stopped for a single day. From Suri and Dubrajpur to Bolpur, sand was smuggled in tractors under the cover of darkness in almost every police station area of the district. Although police occasionally conducted raids and seized several sand-laden tractors, allegations remain that tractors manifold in number were smuggled undetected. Trucks are also entering this district from the neighboring state of Jharkhand. The sand smugglers' syndicate has approached political heavyweights as well as administrative officials, and expensive gifts have been delivered to the right places to protect their illegal business.