Illegal Sand mining in Mandovi river

Date:18^th May 2015

1 To, The Chief Secretary, Government of Goa, Porvorim, Goa	2 To, Secretary (Mines) Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa
3 To, Secretary (Environment) Government of Goa, Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa	4 To, Secretary (Fisheries) Government of Goa, Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa
5 To, The Director-General of Police (DGP) Police Headquarters, Panjim, Goa	6 To, The Director, Department of Mines and Geology, Panjim, Goa
7 To, The Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Porvorim, Goa	8 To, The Police Inspector, Coastal Police Security, Ribandar, Goa

Subject: Illegal Sand mining in Mandovi river

Dear Madam/Sir,

We urge you to act against illegal sand mining currently ongoing in Mandovi river at different places. We specifically call for your intervention to stop illegal sand mining extraction in Mandovi river between Diwar and Vanxim. The river bed here is getting badly affected and we anticipate that it will have adverse effect on marine ecology. Besides the telephone cable and public water pipeline to Vanxim Island is affected due to sand mining and water pipeline may burst in the river and telephone cables cut through. Both these are necessity and not a luxury to the people of Vanxim as it is an island.

The Konkan Railway Bridge at Malar may be weakened and even collapse in near future as the sand extraction is being carried on in its close proximity. This will lead to disruption of rail traffic in konkan region. 

Sand mining is affecting fishing as river bed is constantly dug and will ultimately leading to changing of shape of river bed from ‘U’ shape to ‘V’ shape.

Please act to stop sand mining extraction in Mandovi River with immediate effect.

Yours sincerely,

          Sd/-

Maggie Silveira

President, Goa Unit

          Sd/-

Sanjay Harmalkar

Convener, Diwar Unit

          Sd/-

Rohidas Andrade

Convener, Bambolim Unit

          Sd/-

Sanjay Pereira

Convener, Cacra Unit