Sand transportation to be allowed round-the-clock in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Jul 3 (PTI) Sand transportation will be allowed in Maharashtra 24x7 as against only during daytime, the state government announced on Thursday, claiming that the decision will curb illegal transportation.

Beneficiaries of government housing schemes will receive a certain amount of sand free, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said in a statement in the legislative assembly here.

Earlier, sand transportation was allowed only between 6 am and 6 pm.

"Sand excavation is permitted only between 6 am and 6 pm. But due to the (miners') inability to transport sand at night, there is under-utilisation of capacity and it encourages illegal transportation. The MahaKhaniij portal will now facilitate generation of e-TPs (transport permits) 24 hours a day," the BJP minister told the House.

All sand depots will be "geo-fenced", CCTV cameras will be installed at these depots and along transportation routes, and GPS devices will be mandatory in all sand transporting vehicles, Bawankule further said.

Noting the limited availability of natural sand, the minister also announced a policy for manufactured sand (M-sand). Each district will have 50 crusher units with 5 acres of land allocated for each. The government aims to operationalise 1,000 such units in the next three months, he said.

Beneficiaries under the state housing scheme will receive five brass of sand free, the minister said. "Though some (sand mining) sites face restrictions due to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directives since June 10, sand supply from locations that do not require environmental clearance will continue without disruption," he said.

In the very first tender floated under the new sand policy in Chandrapur district, the state earned a royalty of Rs 100 crore, he said, adding that the new policy will contribute significantly to the state's revenue.

"We are open to a debate on the (new sand) policy at any time. Over 1,200 public suggestions were considered before finalising it," the revenue minister told the House. PTI MR KRK