PANAJI: The mines department on Tuesday banned sand mining and slapped fines for illegal extraction at two zones in Chapora river.
It was found that sand permit holders and illegal extractors were carrying out sand extraction during night time in Camurlim and Colvale zones of the Chapora river. The department has received several complaints from locals about illegal extraction of sand from zones other than the designated ones in the river.
“The illegal extraction is violating norms and regulations laid down for legal sand mining and it is contravening Rule three of the Goa Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1985. It amounts to theft of mineral from government property,” said the director of mines in a notice.
The penalty for illegal sand extraction in the banned zones is upto Rs five lakh per canoe and upto Rs one lakh per extractor.
Earlier, the government had allowed sand extraction in the Chapora river in four zones – Camurlim, Colvale, Nadora and Ozorim/ Pirna zone. But after the receipt of complaints, sand mining in Camurlim and Colvale zones has been banned.
Meanwhile, the mines department on Monday night raided four places at Ponda, Mardol, Old Goa and Porvorim and seized 18 trucks illegally transporting sand, laterite and basalt stones.