Illegal Sand Mining Near River Bridge

December 18,2025

Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD.Patiram

Illegal sand mining was being carried out continuously day and night  areas adjacent to a river bridge under the jurisdiction of Patiram Police Station. Acting on complaints of sand theft, a sudden raid was conducted on Thursday afternoon by the district administration.The raid was led by the Additional District Magistrate (Land Reforms), along with officials from the Block Land and Land Reforms Office (BL&LRO) and the police administration. During the operation, the authorities seized 10 boats and one tractor used for extracting sand from the riverbed.

extracting sand

According to sources, illegal sand mining had been going on for a long time in the Paglignj area under Patiram police station, openly violating rules and regulations. Not only Patiram, but several parts of South Dinajpur district have reportedly been witnessing similar illegal activities. Sand mafias are allegedly involved, carrying out the extraction despite the administration being fully aware of the situation.The illegal mining continued unabated during both day and night, without any regard for environmental norms or legal procedures. However, district officials caught the activity red-handed during Thursday’s surprise inspection.The administration stated that strict legal action would be taken against the seized boats and tractor, and further investigation is underway to identify those involved.