Solapur District

REFORMS IN SAND EXCAVATION AND TRANSPORT

IN SOLAPUR DISTRICT
Dr Praveen Gedam
Collector, Solapur.

Effects of sand mining

1. Water holding capacity of river is decreased.
2. Less groundwater percolation --> less GW
levels.
3. Whatever percolation happens is likely to be of

impure water.
4. This means less water in dugwells & borewells

in connected aquifers. Direct effect on

farmers/villagers.
5. Water supply schemes are affected.

Effects of sand mining

6. Free flowing water less likely in the river.
7. Water contains more impurities.
8. Aquatic ecosystem is disturbed. Breeding
ground is lost. Flora and fauna is disturbed or
lost.
9. Soil erosion of bed and bank takes place.
10. Threat to stability of river banks and structures

like bridges & culverts.

 However, in spite of all these ill effects, it is

inevitable that certain quantity of sand is
excavated for construction/building industry.
It is important work of district administration
to regulate this activity.

Effects of sand mining

River Maan in Solapur

Issues about sand mining

1. Important source of revenue generation

2. Lack of transparency
3. Defects/shortfalls in present system
4. Oligopsony- Very few bidders (cartel).
5. Mafia- criminal elements
6. Political support

7. Involvement of government servants

Situation in Solapur district

1. Major producer of river sand in the state.
2. District of political heavyweights.
3. The bidders invariably political workers and

criminals.
4. Blatant use of money & muscle power.
5. Demoralized govt machinery.

Tahsildar Akkalkots vehicle

Attacks on govt. machinery were frequent

Motorcycles of talathis of Madha taluka

Yet another attack by mafia

Trucks of bidder burnt down by villagers.

Opposition to reforms.

A sand truck rammed into vehicle of

SDM Malshiras when he tried to stop it

Mafia, in real sense!

The system
1. Plots of sand are identified in river beds.

2. The quantity of sand (in brass) for excavation is

earmarked with approval of environment dept.
3. The auction is done and highest bidder is given
rights to excavate the sand, which he can sell.
4. Purchaser of the sand carries the sand using
transport permits approved by Collectorate
and singed and given by bidder.

The system
5. The truck carrying the sand then carries it to
concerned destination.
6. The whole system is totally manual/ paper
based with no computerization.

7. Gives lot of scope of corruption.

All reforms done while maintaining the basic
system prescribed by the government.

Purpose and priorities

of the initiative
1. To control sand excavation from river beds.
-Controlled excavation from leased out ghats.

-Stopping excavation from other places.

2. To control transport of sand in the district.
3. To increase revenue from minor minerals.
4. To maintain environmental balance.
5. To increase faith of public in administration
and to create fear of law in law breakers.
6. To boost morale of government machinery.

Strategies adopted
What was done?
A. Identify the problem.
How theft is done?
B. Solve the problem.
Reforms/actions.

How theft is done?

I. By excavating sand from sand beds not
auctioned off.
II. Excavating sand in quantity much more than
what is approved by govt.

III. By using TPs more than once, forged TPs,

carrying sand more than what is mentioned on
it.
IV. Carrying sand without TP.

Reforms/Actions
I. Reforms in the system of bidding.

II. Reforms in the system of excavation and

transport.
III. Action against illegal excavation/transport.

Reforms in the system of bidding

1. Identification and demarcation of contiguous
sand beds for auction.
2. More quantity per bid per sand ghat.
3. E tender and E auction (Online bidding).

Identification and demarcation

of contiguous sand beds
i.

It was made mandatory to bid for contiguous

sand beds.

ii. It was not allowed to bid for few sand beds

and to leave out others.
iii. The depth of excavation was kept very less.
iv. Both sides of the river taken up for auction at
the same time.

v. All
this
automatically
ensured
that
unauctioned spots near auctioned spots are
not excavated.

Contiguous
sand beds

More quantity per bid/ghat

i.

Sand beds of maximum possible area were

kept for bidding.
Year

No of sand Total area Average Minimum Maximum

ghats
in Ha.
area in Ha. area in Ha. area in Ha.

2010-11

51

75.00

1.47

0.05

4.64

2011-12

51

69.98

1.37

0.19

4.63

2012-13

65

101.77

1.57

0.18

5.00

2013-14

69

618.11

8.95

5.03

24.95

More quantity per bid/ghat

ii. Sand beds of maximum possible volume were
kept for bidding.
Total
volume in
Average Minimum Maximum
brass
volume in volume in volume in
(proposed
brass
brass
brass
for
auction)

Year

No of
ghats

2010-11

51

3,50,110

6,865

270

18,000

2011-12

89

4,87,822

5,481

270

33,750

2012-13

65

3,36,924

5,183

400

18,360

2013-14

69

20,18,370

29,251

3,284

1,31,297

More quantity per bid/ghat

Earlier less area/volume was auctioned off. But
actual excavation of much more sand was
done.
That is why the amount quoted for sand earlier
was sometimes as high as 6-8 times the offset
value and also rates per brass were also very
high.

E tender and E auction

(Online bidding)
i. Confidence building meeting of prospective
bidders taken (dt 16-11-2013). Bidders from
other districts encouraged to participate in
the bids.
ii. Online bidding done (dt 28-11-2013,14-022014). Due to e tender/auction, bidders
were not aware who will be participating.
So very less chances of cartel formation or
threatening to prevent bidders from
participating.

E tender and E auction

(Online bidding)
iii. Combination of e tender and e auction was
used.
iv. First e tender was completed and were not
opened. Then e auctions were conducted
and after that tenders were opened.
Because of this, revenue increased
substantially.

Reforms in the system of

excavation and transport
1. Control room at sand ghat
2. Special Transport Permits (TPs)
3. Special online software

(www.mahamining.com)
4. CCTVs
5. Flood lights
6. Road
7. Boom barrier

Control room at sand ghat

Control room with following facilities made
compulsory at all sand ghats.
Hardware- laptop or PC and accessories, scanner
gun, power back up, internet connection.
Special software

CCTV, etc

Control room at sand ghat

Special Transport Permits

Following entries are included which were not
included in earlier system.

QR code
Invoice code
Barcode
Vehicle permit no (for RTO action)
Name, mobile no of driver (for revenue, police &
RTO action)
Brass already quantified

Special Transport Permits

VOID Pantograph
Fugitive ink
Watermark
Invisible mark
These are in addition to other details which used
to be noted earlier also (e.g.- vehicle no., sand
ghat name, destination, date, time, etc.).
Instructions to do entries by keeping two carbon
papers (like bank demand drafts).

Special Transport Permits

Special online software

www.mahamining.com
i.

Basic data entry for each sand spot with

necessary details done.

ii. When each vehicle with sand moves out from

the spot, further details are entered vehicle

wise and TP is given.

iii. Unique code generated and mentioned on TP.

iv. The TPs barcode and QR code can link all this
data to that particular TP.

Special online software

www.mahamining.com
v. The data is stored on central server- for each
TP- ghatwise, talukawise and district wise.
Figures of excavation/transport are monitored.

vi. The TP is read using barcode scanner gun.

vii. Various reports can be generated.

Animation-YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLyqD8M
V9AA

Special online software

www.mahamining.com

Ghatwise data entry and information

Special online software

www.mahamining.com

Issuing TP on software

Special online software

www.mahamining.com
Reports can be generated for each
i. Taluka
ii. Ghat
iii. Month
iv. Date
v. Vehicle
And in following formats
i. Table
ii. Graphs
- Bar charts, Line graphs, Pie diagrams,
Can be exported to excel.

Special online software

www.mahamining.com

Table- Excavation status in various ghats

Special online software

www.mahamining.com

Bar Chart- Talukawise excavation status

Special online software

www.mahamining.com

Pie Diagram- Quantity lifted till date in district

Special online software

www.mahamining.com

Line graph Daywise lifting in a plot

Special online software

www.mahamining.com

Reports can be exported to excel

Special online software

www.mahamining.com
Validity of TP can be verified using Mobile App
sms
Website
Scanner gun
The validity can be checked using
Barcode/QR code
Vehicle No
Invoice No
Mobile App screenshot
Since 2014-15- we are planing to
popularise this use in general public so that
anyone can complain to concerned authority.

CCTV
i.

To monitor exit route

ii. To monitor sand ghat

CCTV
Practical uses-

i.

Bidder is forced to issue TPs for all vehicles

going from his ghat. Otherwise, he can be
caught by comparing his CCTV footage with
TPs issued by him.

ii. Claim of driver that the sand is brought from

particular ghat can be cross verified. Very
important use in the field.
iii. Prevents blackmailing by officers/outsiders.

Flood lights
To keep area of sand ghat and roads illuminated.
Practical usei.

To check illegal
excavation and
transport
at
night.

ii. Security of the

ghat.

Boom barrier
i.

Boom barrier on exit routes.

ii. Exit to be allowed only if TP is issued.

iii. So further fool proof arrangement shall be
done which will prevent any truck without TP
to go out.
iv. Proposed from 2014-15
onwards.

Actions against illegal

excavation/transport.
Flying and static squads were appointed to take
actions.
Actions discussed under following heads1. What action?

2. Where?
3. Against whom?

What action?
i. Fine/penalty as per Maharashtra Land
Revenue Code, 1966.
ii. FIR in police station.

iii. Suspending driving licenses and vehicle

permits.
iv. Investigation by Income Tax authorities.
v. Externment by SDM.

Where?
i. At sand ghats, river beds.
ii. At storage spots.
iii. On vehicles doing illegal transportation.

Illegal excavation
spots

Illegal sand stocks

Against whom?
i. Truck owner
ii. Truck driver
iii. Farmer who allowed road to be made

through his field

iv. Person who allowed storage on his land
v. Person purchasing such sand, knowingly

Action under Land Revenue Code

Fine/penalty as per Maharashtra Land Revenue
Code,1966.
Instructions not to use discretion of levying
penalty upto three times. It is made mandatory to
levy three times in all cases.
All responsible persons held responsible jointly
and severally.
Not releasing vehicle unless penalty is recovered
even if court orders u/s 457 CrPC.
This action held legal by the courts, being action
under different law (MLRC).

Criminal Case (FIR)

It is made mandatory to file FIR in all cases.
Filed 425 cases in 2013-14.
Against all concerned.
If found to be repeated offender, externment
proceedings initiated.

Actions taken

Year

No. of
vehicles

No. of
No. of FIRs
externments

Fine

2010-11

1503

2,07,86,000

15

2011-12

1358

2,64,85,000

151

2012-13

1341

3,85,80,000

113

2013-14

812

8,49,33,600

425

No of trucks decreased because of ruthless actions.

Further, no of FIRs is less than no of vehicles because
some FIRs have more than one vehicles.

Actions on driving licenses

and vehicle permits
Suspension of drivers license for 6 months.
84 suspended. 443 more suspensions
proposed.
Suspension of vehicles license for 1 month for 1st
offence, 2 months for 2nd offence and so on.
59 suspended. 468 more suspensions
proposed.
Very few persons have HMV drivers license. So
this has substantial deterrent effect.
Solapur is the only district to take such resolution
and action.

Action as per Income Tax Act, 1961

The list of 426 offenders is submitted by the
collector to dept of Income Tax.
Request is made to authorities to initiate action
against unaccounted income.
Solapur is the only district administration to
propose this action.

Few anecdotes
A lady tahsildar would be chased by a group of
around 25-30 wherever she went to take action.
Therefore she would often discretely on two
wheeler or in burqua to catch these trucks.
One MLA requested tahsildar to drop names of
son & wife of his brother from the proposed FIR. PI
also requested the same. Tahsildar not only went
ahead but also issued penalty order of Rs 10 lakh
simultaneously.

Few anecdotes
One JCB was mining sand in one river unabatedly
since 5 years! Big name was involved. FIR was
filed.
In one meeting of circle officers, appeal was
made to seize all illegal sand stocks. I asked them
to confess about their knowledge of such stocks.
Almost all of them raised their hands. They seized
24 thousand brass in next 48 hours!

Innovativeness
First time, gaps were plugged at the source on
this scale and with this much of perfection.

Technology- simple, easily replicable.

Can be integrated into single system for a state.
Illegal excavations/transports
ruthless manner.

tackled

in

No cost incurred to the govt. No recurring cost.

No need of setting up any new administrative
set up.

Replicability
Easily replicable.
Used only existing laws and rules.
Pune & Nashik divisions and many other
districts are using it from this year.
The reforms are not officer oriented but system
oriented.

Time Delivery
Time element is relevant in-

MIS generation
Now this is real time. Earlier it was totally
manual depending upon collection of
information from each ghat. And it was
subject to manipulation which could not be
verified later on.

Quick action against invalid permits

Report of invalid permits is seen in the
software. Can be checked if action taken
against all such illegal transports.

Caution
The system wont work unless total control on
illegal excavation and transport is exercised by
law enforcing agencies.
Otherwise it is sure that sand bidders will opt
for illegal excavation from spots which are not
auctioned off and no one will come for auction
which has these stringent conditions.

Medias response

Outcome
Revenue has increased almost four times.

Amount in Rs.Crore

Income in 2013-14- Rs. 78,08,97,052/80.00

70.00
60.00
50.00

69.60

40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00

15.48
2.08

2010-11

Auction Penalty -

24.03

17.95

2.65

3.86

2011-12

2012-13

Year

8.49

2013-14

Thank you
Dr Praveen Gedam

Collector, Solapur
+91-9766620000
praveengedam@gmail.com
collector.solapur@maharashtra.gov.in