Jajpur,04/06; Large numbers of locals are now up -in arms against the illegal sand mining of many influential persons in the rivers Brahmani and Kelua under Dharmasala block of Jajpur district.
Many agitated villagers of Uttarpratap and other villages stopped sand lifting works on Friday by some persons. They also blocked the sand laden vehicles on the road.
Some persons managed to obtain sand leases recently illegally by greasing the palms of corrupt officials . They are creating a law and order situation in our villages. There has been a rampant increase in the illegal sand mining before the arrival of monsoon season recently in the rivers because swollen rivers made extraction extremely difficult during the rainy season in the district. As a result, sand transportation has once again led to an increase in air pollution in the areas.
Large numbers of trucks, dumpers and tractors do not bother to cover the sand with tarpaulin sheets while carrying sand from the rivers to other areas for which vehicles spill sand on the roads and highways causing air pollution. Many motorcyclists , cyclists and pedestrians face road accidents due to sand spinning from the sand- laden vehicles.
The village roads near many sand mining areas are in bad conditions due to plying of heavy vehicles and spilling of sand from uncovered vehicles. Heaps of sand dot the entire villages, said Nityananda Behera of Uttarpratap village .
Most of the riverside villagers developed breathing-related diseases due to environmental and air pollution by the sand-laden vehicles, said Amar Biswal, a social worker.
When contacted Akshya Kumar Mallick the Additional District Magistrate(ADM) of Jajpur said “We stopped many illegal sand quarries recently in Dharmasala area. Some persons have recently obtained permissions from the government for sand mining for which nobody has any right to oppose them for doing sand mining”.
By A.K.Rout.