Boats used for illegal sand mining set ablaze

The revenue department late on Monday noon also set on fire 45 fibre boats that were fitted with high-power suction pumps meant to dredge sand.

Residents of Wadhiv-Varlipada had complained to the Palghar district collector about the rampant illegal sand mining that was going on in the Vaitarna river. The illegal activity had also destroyed a boundary wall of the Wadhiv village.

The collector then ordered Shivaji Davbhat, sub-divisional officer, Palghar, to take action against theperpetrators.

Sand mining in the area had endangered the rail bridge over the Vaitarna river which had been brought to the notice of the authorities in 2014 itself. The government had issued a ban on sand mining within 600 metres of the bridge in 2014 after bridge no. 92 suffered damages due to the same.

Only traditional sand mining is allowed wherein men could dive into the river to extract sand in buckets. However, the powerful builders’ lobby in Mumbai, Thane and Vasai were reportedly encouraging the suction method wherein huge motor pumps are used to extract sand. Pravin Nalawade, a resident of Vaitarna village, said this had damaged the rail bridge structure.

Due to the damage to the bridge, the WR had ordered speed limits of not more than 20 kmph for trains running over the bridge for two years from 2014. The bridge was finally repaired with new girders in April 2016.

Mr Davbhat and his team arrived at the spot in Vaitarna and destroyed 45 fibre boats that were anchored at the coast, setting some on fire. They also destroyed the boats’ engines.