Thursday, March 26, 2015

Sand mafia resumes mining at airport site

Navi Mumbai: Illegal sand mining activities are taking place in at least two spots within the proposed Navi Mumbai international airport area in Panvel taluka. Local activists informed TOI that the illegal sand mining groups have trespassed into the restricted site, near Karnala Sports Academy in Panvel. The locals and activists have also noticed use of suction pumps to extract sand from areas near Gadhi and Kalundre rivers.

Environmentalist Sumaira Abdulali of NGO Awaaz Foundation expressed surprise over the fact that illegal sand mining is also taking place inside the restricted zone where the international airport is slated to come up.

"I have complained to the Raigad district authorities in the past about illegal sand mining in areas like Panvel, Mansarovar and also at Mahad. However, the activity stops for a few days and later resumes, which further deteriorates our river banks and natural resources," she said .
26/03/15 Vijay Singh/Times of India 
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