HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu has requested Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to create a special commission to give permits for sand quarrying to protect the environment for future generations.
In a letter to the Chief Minister on Friday, the TDP chief alleged that natural resources including mineral wealth were being exploited indiscriminately in the State due to government negligence in the recent years. Illegal sand mining was spreading fast threatening the groundwater resource, as permissions for sand mining were being given in violation of laws.
He suggested the government to take back the powers vested with district Collectors to permit sand mining and instead constitute a committee with environmentalists, soil experts, scientists, non-governmental organisations and local bodies' representatives to give permits keeping the environmental concerns in mind. He reminded the Chief Minister that Chennai High Court had banned sand mining from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Tamil Nadu.
Indiscriminate
However, in Andhra Pradesh sand mafia was indulging in indiscriminate and illegal sand mining by occupying the river beds while the government was mute spectator. The resentment by local people and elected representatives had no bearing on such gangs. Lives of rural people in the vicinity of sand reaches were hit hard as the sand-laden lorries were damaging roads and bridges badly.
In an interaction with TDP activists from Karimnagar, Nalgonda, and Vizianagaram districts, Mr. Naidu alleged that agriculture sector was unable to overcome the crisis due to anti-farmer policies of the State and Central governments. Farmers had to take to the streets unable to get seed and fertilizer in time as the government lacked any plan to deal with the issue.
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