MAPUSA: In continuation of the ongoing drive over the illegal sand extraction in River Tiracol, Mines Department along with Captain of Ports, Pernem Deputy Collector and police, on early Thursday morning, conducted raid at Kiranpani-Paliem and seized four canoes involved in sand extraction.
It was a second raid this month, wherein a geologist from Mines Department Ramnath Shetgaonkar, Dr P Sirsaikar, Deputy Director Captain of Ports, Deputy Collector Pernem Harish Adconkar and police staff conducted a raid at 4 a.m. and seized four canoes along with sand extracted from the River Tiracol at Kiranpani-Paliem.
Sources informed that some of the labourers engaged on canoes, fled the scene.
Later, the canoes were towed to the shore, and formalities were completed.
The canoe owners were given sound warning against further violations.
When contacted Deputy Collector Harish Adconkar said that “as there is a ban on such activities, we just want to ensure that no one should venture into the sea during the monsoon.”
“These raids are preventive in nature so that in such a weather no one ventures into the river, and in addition we can keep a check on sand extraction also,”Adconkar added.
Sand extraction is being completely banned by the Mines and Geology Department for a period from June to September as per Environment Clearance Act while granting the permissions for sand extraction.
Authorities have also seized illegally extracted sand from the sites.
It may be recalled that last week, in a major raid over illegal sand extraction along the river Tiracol, by Mines Department, Captain of Ports and Deputy Collector Pernem, 14 canoes were seized along with around 300 cubic metres of sand at Torsem.
In the month of February, the villagers of Ugvem had held a rally in Pernem over illegal sand extraction, following which Deputy Collector of Pernem Harish Adconkar had convened a meeting with the officials of concerned departments to clamp down on the activity.