BALASORE | Jun 23, 2015:The district administration on Monday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC on a stretch of nearly 10 km along river Subarnarekha.

Two days back, it had demolished nearly 15 illegal sand quarries run by a group of sand mafias of West Bengal on the river banks.

Sources said a team of revenue officials led by Jaleswar Tehsildar Rajanikant Biswal had demolished the illegal sand mines, which were operating at 15 places from Mankidia to Kuanrpur village.

While five sump machines, one JCB, boats and eight refining nets were seized, one temporary shed was destroyed.

Collector Sanatan Mallik said the ban will be in force till July 2 and nobody is allowed to carry out any type of operation on the river banks.

The administration has also deployed three platoons of police force in the area.

In February, prohibitory order was imposed in seven villages along the river in Jaleswar block to prevent the mafias from carrying out sand extraction. Though it was then decided to impose the ban for at least a year, the administration withdrew police force after two months.

Locals alleged that due to police inaction and administrative lethargy, the mafias continued to extract sand and transport it to Bangladesh.

Security has also been beefed up in Dakhina Praharajpur, Behera Sahi, Totapada, Mankidia, Guagadia, Rajnagar and Kuanrpur villages, located close to the river.

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