Rajasthan Police takes action after India Today report on illegal sand mining

Rajasthan Police has taken action against five police personnel, allegedly involved in transportation of illegally mined sand.

One police chowki in-charge has been suspended whereas four police personnel have been sent to the police lines.

Forty trucks and 20 tractors have also been seized and 25 members of the mining mafia have been taken into custody by the police.

Dholpur SP Mridul Kachawa said, "It is the priority of CM Ashok Gehlot that illegal sand mining and transportation be completely stopped. Because of this, we have registered more than 25 cases of illegal mining and transportation of sand. In all this action, forest department, mining department and transport teams were involved with us. We have seized 40 trucks and 20 tractors and taken 25 men involved in mining into custody."

India Today had reported earlier this year, how illegal sand mining was being carried out in adjoining districts of Rajasthan's Dholpur and Madhya Pradesh's Morena, allegedly with the connivance of the local police.

The Chambal river belt that runs through parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, two bordering states, lies in shambles today.

Despite a ban by the Supreme Court on sand mining in these states, large areas earmarked by banks of Chambal river, have been ravaged by blatant sand mining.

India Today witnessed the sorry state of Chambal river banks caused by illegal, blatant and widespread sand mining in the area, going on in clear violation of the Apex Court's directives. A visit to Rajasthan's Dholpur and Madhya Pradesh's Morena districts, through which the Chambal river runs, brought to the fore how, despite Supreme Court's order, blatant sand mining was being carried on in the adjoining states.

India Today witnessed how mining in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh was being carried on despite a police chowki standing right across the area through which tractors can be seen carrying large mounds of sand extracted from Chambal river banks.

This, despite the fact that a court's directive is prominently on display, banning the movement of tractors and excavating machines within a range of 1 km on both sides.

In Dholpur, India Today visited Basai Dan village, where large piles of sand, mined from close to the Chambal river was kept and taken to different areas of the state illegally.

These mounds of sand were mined illegally, loaded in trucks and trolleys by the mining mafia, blatantly and transported to various parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.