Illegal sand mining is going on Wakal river side within the Phulwari ki Naal Sanctuary, despite the watchful eyes of the Forest Department and the police. The land area of the river is a hotspot for this illicit activity. Despite being just 5 kms away from the Forest Department's range office and the police station in Panarwa village, sand smuggling continues regularly by the sand mafia and local officials.

According to local villagers, tractors now enter into the river to extract sand from 6 to 7 in the evening, a shift from the previous smuggling hours of 11 to 12 at night. Villagers attribute this sudden increase to the impending monsoon, which is about 20 days away. With the arrival of water in the river, the sand pits dug by smugglers will be replenished.

The Phulwari ki Naal Sanctuary spans an area of 511 square kms, approximately 90 kilometers away from the Udaipur city and near the Gujarat border, making sand smuggling convenient. Notably, sand is being sold in the local market at rates ranging from Rs 2000 to 3000 per tractor. 

More than 10 tractors are utilized daily for sand extraction. Although the police had previously filed cases against sand smuggling by seizing tractors, both the Panarwa station in-charge and the ranger have issued similar statements, denying involvement in sand extraction and attempting to avoid accountability. 

Source: Dainik Bhaskar