Team Herald
PONDA: After several complaints, agitation, blocking and unloading of sand-laden trucks by locals, the Mines department today conducted a raid on sand extraction at Savoi-Verem with help of Ponda police and seized five canoes, a truck and extracted sand at Savoi-Verem Gando at around 11.30 am today.
The locals heaved a sigh of relief after the raid, as it has put an end to plying of sand-laden trucks on narrow roads at Savoi-Verem endangering the life people.
The locals had restricted movement of sand-laden trucks from 6 pm to 9 am and from 1 pm to 2 pm.
Since the truckers failed to comply with these restriction and the mines department failed act against such violations, the locals blocked three trucks since past week and unloaded the sand near the panchayat office.
The locals contend that they were not against sand extraction as it is the traditional business in Savoiverem and Volvoi, but they wanted some restriction of timing for the safety of children and citizens.
The locals recently submitted a memorandum to Ponda DySP Sunita Sawant who assured to inform Mines department about the problem and after week a raid was conducted by mines department.
