Burdwan, Oct. 13: Residents of a cluster of villages along the Damodar in Burdwan have written to the chief minister alleging that rampant illegal lifting of sand from the river bank was making the area prone to erosion.

The villagers of Khandaghosh, Lodna, Metedanga, Nabagram, Banamalipur and Bichka have marked a copy of their complaint to district magistrate Saumitra Mohan.

Sources in the district administration said indiscriminate lifting of sand from the river bank was on the rise despite a ban by the National Green Tribunal in July.

The tribunal had imposed the ban after the Bengal government failed to implement certain central guidelines. According to the guidelines, state governments should ensure that an environment impact assessment is done before allowing anybody to lift sand from riverbeds. The guidelines also make bidding mandatory before issuing mining licences.

It was found that no environment studies were conducted in Bengal and licences were issued by local authorities such as panchayats and municipalities on a first-come-first-served basis.

The deputy chief of the Trinamul-run Lodna gram panchayat, Mohammad Arafulla, agreed that the villages situated on the banks of the Damodar were prone to erosion.

"Over the past five years, at least 20 acres of farmland have been gobbled up by the river during the monsoon. Before the rains every year, farmers fear that their land would be washed away. Illegal mining has added to the woes," Arafulla said.

Mahananda Bit, a 45-year-old farmer of Metedanga, said illegal sand mining had become rampant over the past few months.

"Sand mining is done with the help of excavators mounted on boats late in the night. The sand is then transported in trucks through village roads," Bit said.

Sanatan Mete, a villager from Lodna, said at least 500 trucks are used to transport sand every night.

"We can't sleep at night because of the sound of passing trucks. The village roads are also getting damaged because of the heavy vehicles," Mete said.

District magistrate Mohan said: "I have asked the police superintendent and the additional DM to look into the matter and take immediate steps."

The villagers held a meeting among themselves last month and decided to write to the chief minister.

"The government needs to take some immediate action against illegal sand mining. Left unchecked, land along the river will get washed away with time. This is an agrarian belt and our lives are dependent on farming. So, we mailed a letter to the chief minister's office and the DM," said Bit.

Arafulla, the deputy chief of the Lodna gram panchayat, said he had informed the block development officer about the alleged rise in illegal sand mining soon after the green tribunal ban.

"But no action was taken," Arafulla said.

Khandagosh BDO Santanu Das said: "I had seized a dozen sand-laden trucks late last month. After that, I have not received any report of any illegal sand mining. I don't know what happens at night. However, I will inform my superiors about the allegation."