Expressing concern over rampant sand quarrying all along the river Godavari in Peddapalli and Jayashankar-Bhupalapalli districts, he said the sand-laden lorries had killed 86 villagers during last few year and demanded an ex-gratia of ₹20 lakh each to the bereaved families. Refuting the claims of the government that their sand policy was fetching over ₹1,300 crore to the exchequer, he said the policy was causing loss to the tune of over ₹10,000 crore to the ecology and environment. The sand policy and rampant sand quarrying had depleted the groundwater and disturbed the ecology, he said. The sand-laden lorries were causing more damages to the roads and adjoining fields with their frequent movement and dust. He demanded that the government close down all the sand quarries to protect the nature and the farming community.

Source: The Hindu April 24, 2018 13:05 UTC