Joint drive to check illegal sand mining in Chaliyar

Panchayat-level squads to be reconstituted

The Revenue Department and the police from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts are planning to intensify their joint inspections against the operation of illegal sand miners in the Chaliyar. Panchayat-level squads will be reconstituted as part of the efforts to support the joint operation covering the ignored stretches along the river bank. Police squads from Areekode, Kondotty, Vazhakkad, Mukkom, Mavoor, Feroke and Beypore will mainly team up for joint enforcement activities. All country boats and goods vehicles being used for illegal sand mining will be impounded. Patrol squads in boats will keep an eye on over-exploited locations at night. In one of the recent surprise inspections, police squads from Vazhakkad and Mukom stations seized 21 country boats used for illegal sand mining. Though workers in the boats escaped on seeing the squads, the police impounded all the boats in the midnight search.