Inaccurate geo-coordinates hampers sand mining

Auditing of sand quarry operations in the state revealed that the public works department failed to verify the correctness of the geo-coordinates available in the mining plan or environmental clearance at the time of approval of the mining plan or environmental clearance.

The PWD failed to comply with the government’s instructions regarding judicious use of hydraulic trucks. It also did not ensure removal of sand in the approved area of quarry resulting in excess use of hydraulic trucks and removal of more sand which resulted in the loss of Rs 21.02 crore in revenue.

Major deficiencies were also noted in issuing transport permits and sale slips, non-ensuring authenticity of vehicles and end users, increase in recurrence of illicit quarrying as evidenced by seizure of vehicles/sand, deficient supervision, absence of monitoring hampered the objectives of elimination of indiscriminate and unscientific quarrying. As a result, the report added, this led to non-achievement of the objective of supply of sand to consumers at affordable prices and prevention of degradation of ecology.