RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM
A team of officials led by District Collector K. Madhavilatha on Sunday seized machinery and tippers for violating the guidelines pertaining to the collection of sand along the Godavari riverbed, across the five mandals of the East Godavari district.
The officials swung into action based on a Supreme Court directive on the methods of sand excavation, transportation and deployment of machinery along the Godavari river bed.
During a four-hour raid of the ongoing activities at the permitted sand reaches, the team of officials noticed a huge deployment of machinery, against the directives issued by the Irrigation Department and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the five mandals — Kadiyam, Peravali, Nidadavole, Tallapudi and Kovvuru.
Mines and Geology Department Assistant Director M. Subramanyam told The Hindu: “In Peravali Mandal alone, five proclainers and four lorries have been seized for violations.”“
In an official release, District Collector K. Madhavilatha said: “We have noticed deployment of machinery including earthmovers and tippers, which have been seized during the inspection of the reaches on Sunday. A detailed report will be submitted to the State government.”
500-metre zone
The Collector has further said that sand excavation has not been found within 500 metres from all the bridges across the Godavari river between Kovvur and Dowleswaram.
The officials also interacted with boat operators who excavate the sand from the depths of Godavari and other stakeholders involved in the operation of the official sand reaches.
Joint Collector N. Tej Bharat, Kovvur Sub-Collector Ashutosh Srivatsav, Revenue Divisional Officer A. Chaitra Varshini, and other officials were present.
