Hyderabad: The Telangana State Human Rights Commission (TSHRC) on Wednesday demanded that the Karimnagar regional vigilance and enforcement officer enquire into the illegal sand mining issue in the district and submit a comprehensive report to the commission by August 4.
On Tuesday, a report published by Deccan Chronicle alleged that sand contractors in Karimnagar are illegally excavating sand from canals, rivers and streams in the area by exerting political pressure and colluding with local revenue and police authorities.
The illegal mining ultimately led to a huge loss to the government exchequer, alleged the report.
The article said that contractors are first mining sand from reaches and then dumping it at secret locations.
“Sand contractors in the district are said to be in cahoots with officials and are allegedly mining sand irregularly at several places in view of the ongoing monsoon season. It also causes severe threats to the environment,” it read.
It further goes on to say that the pits in the ground created by excessive mining are dangerous to the public’s safety, adding that recently, school-going children lost their lives while trying to swim in the pits of water and urged the higher authorities to take immediate steps to prevent illegal sand mining and protect the environment.
TSHRC stated that the report was adequate for it to take suo-moto cognizance. “Human rights and the environment are intrinsically intertwined,” stated the Commission in a press note.
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