Illegal sand mining threatens Tungabhadra water security

Kurnool: What is the point of issuing orders if they cannot be enforced on the ground? This is the question confronting the Kurnool district administration as alleged illegal sand excavation continues in the Tungabhadra riverbed at Panchalingala despite District Collector Dr A Siri directing officials to initiate stringent action.

Barely a day after the Collector’s directions, dozens of tractors were seen entering the riverbed on Thursday, raising serious questions over the enforcement machinery and the authority of official orders. With Kurnool already reeling under water stress, residents fear that unchecked sand removal could damage the riverbed’s groundwater-retention capacity and put the drinking-water security of several villages at risk.

The alleged flouting of the Collector’s directions fuelled growing resentment among villagers, who want to know who is shielding the sand operators and why officials are unable to stop the activity despite clear instructions. Residents allege that Panchalingala is the native place of MP Bastipati Nagaraju, and the father-in-law of MLA Boggula Dastagiri, and suspect that the alleged political connection is one of the reasons for the lack of effective action.

But the stakes are much higher than illegal sand transportation.

The Tungabhadra riverbed is being viewed by villagers as a lifeline for groundwater during the prolonged dry spell. Borewells along the riverbank depend on groundwater recharge associated with the riverbed, and residents fear that indiscriminate sand excavation could disturb the natural system that retains and recharges groundwater. With deficit rainfall and maximum temperature touching 38.3°C, villagers say the administration cannot afford to allow further degradation of an already stressed water source.

More worryingly, residents fear that large-scale water scarcity could persist through the coming dry months and remain a major concern until the next rainy season in 2027 if groundwater sources are further depleted. They argue that every remaining recharge zone must therefore be protected instead of being exposed to unchecked sand extraction. The Mines and Geology Department, revenue officials and police should jointly inspect the riverbed, stop unauthorised excavation, seize vehicles involved in illegal activity and identify those operating the alleged sand network, villagers demand.

The controversy has now put the district administration’s enforcement mechanism under the spotlight. If Collector-level orders are being ignored within 24 hours, the issue is no longer merely about illegal sand mining, it is about the credibility and implementation of government orders and the protection of drinking-water sources.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Narendra Kr Varikuntla

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