After the brutal murder of Yashvant Sonavane, additional district collector, by oil mafia, the illicit trade and heinous political nexus hit the head lines. Though the government cracked down on the mafia and arrested hundreds of people involved in the trade, senior officials and environmentalists feel that it’s just a tip of iceberg.
Like oil mafia, the sand mafia operational in Thane district is yet another major issue which needs to be strictly dealt with. Every creek in Thane district is today controlled by sand mafia and the administration has turned a blind eye to the blatant violation for obvious reasons. Dozens of dredgers are operating in the creeks in the district and several thousand truck loads of sand is being excavated illegally every day. According to an estimate around 50,000 tones of sand is being illegally excavated in Thane district daily which is supplied to several construction projects going on in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai including Raigad. Thane district has emerged as a major hub of illegal sand dredging as all the major construction activities are centred in the region. The Vasai creek along Ghodbunder Road in Thane is the centre of illegal sand dredging which is going on unabated due to the political patronage.
The sand dredging has become illegal especially after the recent amendment in CRZ notification which has banned excavation up to 12 nautical miles seawards. Even the Bombay High Court had completely banned large scale mechanised sand excavation. The sand excavation has only become worst in the name of shortage. It is just a gimmick to earn more money since it is a highly lucrative business. Mechanised sand dredging is going on uncontrolled in the areas like Vasai, Virar, Thane,Thakurli Bunder in Kalyan, Mumbra creek, Navi Mumbai and Raigad district. The cases of threatening and assaulting people who oppose them are reported regularly. Hundreds of truck loads of sand illegally excavated from the creeks and rivers in the district is being sent to various construction sites in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai everyday, the official said. Though officials take action against the culprits regularly, it is not sufficient. Nothing can be done without adequate support from the government. More than 600 sand trucks could be doing daily trip from the creeks in Palghar, Vasai, Kalyan, Bhiwandi and Thane talukas to various construction sites.
As far as sand business in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is considered, daily income of a handful of locally influential leaders runs into several lakhs of rupees everyday. The anti social elements have grown larger than life with the political patronage they enjoy. The sand mafia in the state are directly connected to the political leaders. All the political leaders having influence in their areas, irrespective of their parties, support sand mafia. The sand mafia is hardly scared of police since their business is controlled by revenue department. Even in revenue department, officials on the posts of circle inspector and above are in their direct contact. As far as Mumbai Metropolitan Region is concerned, influential leaders in respective areas support the illegal sand excavation business. Those in the business have even become strong political leaders.
According to sources, the current rates of sand are in the range of Rs 8000 to Rs 12000 per brass. One brass comprises four ton. Going by the calculation the cost of a truck load of sand costs in the range of Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 if considered that a truck carries 20 ton sand.
One in every five sand trucks entering Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane is unloaded at the sand depots owned by locally influential political leader. The scale of the benefit these leaders are getting can be gauged by the fact that around 15000 truck loads of sand is the daily requirement of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Some political leaders influential in sand rich areas of Thane, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Raigad district are earning in the range of Rs 150,00,000 everyday. Even if we consider at least one political leader from five sand rich areas in MMR, each leader is earning a whooping Rs 30,000 lakh per day.
The sand mafia in the state is confident of all the protection for their political bosses. Several Congress and NCP leaders are shielding these people.
Honest officials are harassed by sand mafia and their political fathers to such an extent that one has to even face fabricated charges even like molestation. When some official shows courage to take action against sand mafia, there is no support from the government. Such officials are systematically thrown out and transferred to remote areas and non-executive postings.
