[Panaji,Goa]Goa To Make Dance “Sand Mafia”,May Install GPS on Thier Trucks
BJP Led Goa Govt Mulls Installing GPS To Make Sand-Carrying Trucks Dance On Govt’s Tune
Goa government is contemplating installing Global Positioning Systems (GPS) on trucks carrying sand in a bid to curb instances of illegal extractions,
Goa Mines and Geology Director Prasanna Acharya told reporters
.”We are thinking of installing GPS on trucks carrying sand from different places. This will help us to identify the places where sand is sourced from and also will keep a tab on overloading,”
The state government has already identified several sites where sand extraction activity can take place in a controlled manner.
Acharya said the sand extractors have been given an opportunity to submit their documents for the legal compliance.
The director said.”This is the last month. After this month we will crack down on all the illegal sand extraction activities in a major way,”
Last year, the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) western region bench in Pune had directed authorities to take strict action, including arrest, confiscation of vessels’ licences and use of armed police, against illegal sand miners in Goa.
This order came after the NGT bench of Justice V R Kingaonkar and Ajay A Deshpande heard an application by three North Goa residents.
The mining has badly affected Goan marine resources, causing extinction of marine life and species and destruction of retaining walls due to seepage of salty water,