KARIMNAGAR, AUGUST 30, 2024: The illegal sand mafia is again on the prowl in the Karimnagar district by transporting the sand from the river Manair illegally in spite National Green Tribunal banning the sand excavation from the river.
The illegal sand mining is being continued clandestinely from Challur, Korkal and other sand reaches in the district even after the change of the government in the Telangana state.
The Manair Parirakshana Samithi which had been crusading for the protection of the river and against illegal sand mining operations was successful in ensuring that the NGT declared sand mining activities in the Manair River as illegal and imposing hefty fines of Rs 25 crore each on the irrigation and the mining departments.
When everyone expected that the Manair River would be saved from the illegal sand mining, yet again the sand mafia had intensified its operations by transporting thousands of loads of sand in the lorries every day violating the court instructions.
Sandi Surender Reddy, who had petitioned with the NGT, said that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy should fulfil his promise of stopping the illegal sand mining in the Manair River as promised to the voters during the electioneering in Thanugula village. He said that they had approached the Supreme Court to stop the illegal sand mining in River Manair.
