Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : Illegal sand mining in river Sone going on with impunity in Bhojpur district. The state government has banned sand mining from river Sone from July 1, 2017, to September 30, 2017, but the sand mafias continue their work and dumped sand in large quantity and now selling it at much higher price. The sand companies issue e-chalan.
The sand mafias are operating fearlessly though the Bhojpur and Patna district administrations had conducted raids on both banks of river Sone from Patna and Ara sides on July 30, 2017. The Bhojpur district administration had arrested 59 sand labourers and seized five big boats on July 30. As the police returned, the illegal sand digging resumed. After 10pm, hundreds of boats from Doriganj in Saran district reached Koelwar in Bhojpur district and after digging sand from sone river and loading it on the boats, they returned to Doriganj. The sand was then loaded on trucks and sent to different district in UP, North Bihar and West Bengal, where the sand of the sone river is in high demand. The mafias are easily seen active in lower part of Suraundha in Koelwar to Bindgawa areas. During rainy seasons their activities increased.
The locals said that illegal digging of sand continues as the sand mafias are hand in glove with the police personnel and also enjoy political patronage. They alleged that police alert the sand mafias about the impending raid hence only sand labourers are arrested not a single sand mafia. Informed sources said that after filling of an FIR against an MLA in Patna district, Bhojpur district administration is contemplating to lodge FIR against an MLC an MLA of the area.