Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police have seized 1196 tons of illegally transported sand in an operation conducted during February 14-19.
The operation was carried out as per the Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s orders. The police registered 26 cases and arrested 57 accused during the operation in Hyderabad. Eight vehicles used for the transportation of sand were also seized by the police.
The drive was taken up after the Telangana mines and geology department announced its aim to supply 1 lakh Metric tons of sand.
Telangana cracks down on illegal sand transport, collects Rs 14.28L in fines
Telangana government cracks down on illegal sand transport
The state government has been running operations against the illegal transportation of sand. During an exercise, from February 1-12, the transport department checked 1,222 sand-laden vehicles, booked 136 cases, seized 111 vehicles, and suspended 21 driving licenses. A total of Rs 14.28 lakh was collected in fines for violations such as overloading and plying without valid waybills.
Earlier this week, the Telangana chief minister conducted a high-level review meeting focusing on sand supply in the state. The CM instructed officials to enhance sand availability at an affordable price while simultaneously increasing revenue for the exchequer. Following his directives, multiple meetings were held over the next few days to implement the strategy effectively.
On February 11, the chief secretary, along with the director general of police (DGP), commissioner, principal secretary, and senior officials from the mines and geology department, reviewed measures to streamline sand excavation and distribution. Taking the process further, on February 12, the principal secretary (FAC), of mines & geology, engaged with sand contractors and transport agencies, urging them to significantly scale up operations.
Alongside efforts to streamline supply, authorities have intensified their crackdown on illegal sand mining and unauthorized transportation. District collectors, superintendents of police, and other officials have been conducting surprise inspections to curb unlawful extraction. Reports indicate that sand was being illegally transported between 11 pm and 6 am, prompting strict monitoring across three shifts.
