Sand theft alleged at night from dry Bhima river, residents of Pandharpur villages angry

The Bhima river bed has dried up for want of rain. Amid this, sand thieves are alleged to be active in the river. People from several riverside villages in Pandharpur taluka say illegal sand mining and transport is going on at a large scale in the dark of night and in the early hours of the morning.

On one side, people hit by drought are struggling for water. On the other, sand is being taken out of the dry Bhima. This has raised questions about the administration's action.

There is a demand that water be released into the Bhima from Ujani dam. At the same time, sand is alleged to be openly removed from the river. According to residents, vehicles go down into the river at night, sand is dug out and then transported. People are asking whether the revenue department and police do not get to know of all this, or whether no action follows even after they do.

Residents say illegal mining is not only causing a loss of government revenue but also damaging the river's natural channel and the environment. They are therefore demanding that Superintendent of Police Atul Kulkarni form a special team and step up night patrols. They also want the District Collector to give clear instructions to the revenue department, and strict action in the riverside villages.

River sand is not merely a source of revenue. It is also important for the river's natural flow and for environmental balance. Large-scale removal of sand can change the depth and shape of the river. It is feared that this could later affect water storage and groundwater recharge. People therefore want those mining illegally to be not let off with a fine alone. They want the departments concerned to patrol regularly and raid suspicious spots.

The talathi and the police patil play an important local role in riverside villages. People are asking why, if vehicles are moving to and from the river at night, this information does not reach the local level. They also ask why police patils in these villages do not come forward on illegal sand mining. Residents want senior officers to investigate and fix responsibility.

Sand mining is alleged to have picked up during the drought. Residents want the administration not to stop at panchnamas and paperwork but to go down into the river and take real action. They want an effective arrangement put in place so that theft cannot happen at all, rather than action being taken after the theft.