Tirupur: Sand mined illegally from Amaravathi river seized, probe on

TIRUPUR: Government officials seized 342 units of sand mined illegally from the Amaravathi river near Dharapuram here on Friday.

Though there were several complaints about illegal sand mining going on in the Amaravathi river, it’s the first catch in many years. The officials found that a few farmers had allowed miners to cut mud roads to reach the river through their farms.

“I have been receiving complaints about the illegal mining for the past two months. And then, we received information about the huge storage place and we located it with the help of revenue and Public Works Department officials,” Dharapuram sub collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar told TOI.

“While there is no permit for sand mining in Dharapuram taluk or other neighbouring districts, a large quantity of sand was stored at Aalampalayam near Kulathupalayam on Dharapuram-Karur road. We also found six trucks and two earth movers that were likely to be used for illegal sand mining and transporting purposes. So, we seized all the vehicles along with 342 units of sand, which would be auctioned soon,” he said.

The sub collector said the seizure would send a strong message to the people involved in the sand mining. “We have initiated steps to find out the people behind the illegal sand mining. We will take criminal action against them.”