Mumbai: Delivering a strong blow to the rampant illegal sand mining network across Maharashtra, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has declared an aggressive state-wide operation, calling it a “surgical strike” against the sand mafia. The government has announced unprecedented enforcement measures. As per the new directive, permits of vehicles caught transporting sand or other minor minerals illegally will now be suspended or permanently cancelled on the spot.
The Revenue Department issued a fresh circular on Wednesday outlining the new punitive framework, citing growing cases of unlawful sand extraction and smuggling that have caused heavy losses to government revenue and irreversible environmental damage. Officials said that enforcement teams have increasingly faced violent resistance, with several officers threatened and attacked in recent months.
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Under the revised rules issued by the State Transport Authority and implemented via the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, penalties will now escalate sharply across three stages:
• First violation: Permit suspended for 30 days; vehicle seized
• Second violation: Permit suspended for 60 days; vehicle seized
• Third violation: Permit permanently cancelled and vehicle seized by the Regional Transport Authority
The crackdown covers all machinery and vehicles typically used in illegal mining operations, including JCBs, poclains, tractors, dumpers, trucks, trailers, excavators, compressors, barges, and motorised boats.
Calling for public cooperation, officials said the move aims to dismantle the financial backbone of the sand mafia and restore environmental balance in riverbeds and coastal zones devastated by excessive mining.
Further monitoring and enforcement operations are expected to intensify statewide.
