Eluru | April 10, 2017: West Godavari collector K Bhaskar directed officials of the mining department to register cases against people involved in illegal sand mining in the district. He stated that the illegal mining is posing a threat to the environment.He conducted Mee Kosam programme at Collectorate, here on Monday.

During the programme, he received a complaint from Ch Ravi Prasad, A Ramabrahmam and others of Tochilaka Rayudu Palem village in Lingapalem mandal stating that some people are illegally digging up sand in Tammileru rivulet in the past few days. They said that they have complained earlier and officials visited the site but failed to take any action to stop illegal mining. They produced photos of illegal sand transportation.

Ethakota Ratnaraju and others of Peravali mandal complained that in Khandavalli Lankamulapalli village, some people are illegally digging up the island gravel with machines and transporting sand in trucks. They told the collector that they stopped five trucks and a machine and handed over it to the Police. However, the police released the accused, they alleged. Due to the illegal transportation of the gravel and sand the village roads filled with dust and dirt, they.

The collector directed the officials to curb the illegal mining and transportation immediately and file cases against the illegal miners and ransporters.Meanwhile, retired tahsildar PV Narasimha Rao and others complained to the collector to order to remove liquor shop in Motheyvari Thota.

They told that the shop was just 50 yards from a school, prayer halls and temples. The collector received resentations from the people on various issues and directed officials to solve the problems. Additional joint collector MH Sheriff, DRO Katta Hymavathi, irrigation SE Srinivasa Rao, lead bank district manager M Subrahmanyeswara Rao and other officials were also present.

(Source: http://www.thehansindia.com/)