Malkangiri, 5th Sept 2025: Due to the riverbanks lying adjacent to dense forests, the eyes of government officials rarely fall on these areas — making them ideal hotspots for illegal activities. One such instance is near Kutumpalli village, where truckloads of sand are being illegally extracted from river ghats.
It has come to light that sand is being loaded using tractors from the riverbanks located just a few meters away from the lifeline of Malkangiri district — the Potero River. From there, it is being transported illegally on a daily basis.
Some transporters, perhaps to evade authorities, are also stockpiling the sand inside nearby forested areas, ready for future dispatch. According to sources, sand is being transported daily via tractors through the road connecting MPV-54 to Kutumpalli village and taken from the banks of the Kutumpalli river.
In some cases, sand is being moved to the forested riverbanks for temporary storage, before being further transported as per demand. These activities are going unchecked due to lack of visits by officials, and the sand mafia is taking full advantage of the administrative silence.
This illegal sand transportation is causing revenue loss to the government. Upon being contacted, the Motu Tahsildar claimed ignorance of such activities but assured that an investigation would be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken.