Dry riverbeds in Krishna and Bhima basins become easy targets for sand mafia; night mining keeps Sangli and Solapur officials on toes

Kolhapur: With rivers running dry due to delayed rainfall, exposed riverbeds across the Krishna and Bhima basins have become prime targets for illegal sand miners. The illegal activities are mostly carried out under the cover of darkness, prompting intensified crackdowns by authorities in Sangli and Solapur districts.

Officials said the lack of water has made sand deposits easily accessible, leading to rampant, unregulated extraction that is depriving the state of revenue while posing long-term environmental risks. The nocturnal nature of the activities makes enforcement a challenge, forcing revenue teams into frequent night operations.

On Sunday, Atpadi tehsildar Sheetal Bandgar led a team that caught a dumper truck carrying illegally mined sand from the Manganga riverbed after a chase of nearly one and a half hours. The driver was trying to escape to the neighbouring Solapur district.

In another operation, a team led by the Pandharpur sub-divisional officer raided an illegal mining site in the Bhogavati riverbed in Mohol tehsil, seizing vehicles and sand worth Rs 15 lakh. A case has been registered against five people for illegal extraction and theft, with plans to invoke stringent provisions under the Environment (Protection) Act.

District collectors Mainak Ghosh (Sangli) and S Karthikeyan (Solapur) have directed revenue officials to maintain constant vigil and act swiftly against violators, particularly as the dry conditions persist. Gram panchayats have also been instructed to alert authorities about suspicious activity.

A senior revenue official highlighted the scale and pattern of the problem. “Illegal sand mining operations take place during the late hours. Often, heavy earthmoving machinery is used. Sometimes, the illegally mined sand is carried on bikes. We have warned the gram panchayats and farmers against allowing such vehicles access to the riverbeds through their villages or fields. This is because the roads will be damaged, and the excess mining will disturb the morphology of the river. The banks may get weak, and chances are that the fields nearby may slip into the water,” said the official.

Authorities noted that illegal extraction not only leads to loss of revenue but also threatens river ecology. As per Maharashtra’s sand policy, environmental impact assessments are mandatory for legal mining, but unauthorised operations bypass these safeguards.

The state has recently strengthened enforcement by setting up flying squads at the taluka level. “Changes were made recently in the Sand Policy, 2025. As per the policy, dedicated flying squads have been set up at every taluka,” the official added.

Local leaders say unchecked mining has already caused irreversible damage in some areas. Shivdas Bhosale, sarpanch of Agran Dhulgaon village, pointed to the disappearance and the later revival of the Agrani river. “After decades of efforts, stopping illegal sand mining for nearly 25 years, the river has been rejuvenated. We have even drilled recharge wells. The sand holds water and protects the stream from erosion. Since the river now has water perennially, no illegal sand mining incidents take place here anymore,” said Bhosale.