Indapur: A joint team of revenue and police on Sunday morning seized two mechanised boats, including two sachet pipes, for illegally extracting sand into the Bhima river in Narsinghpur (Indapur).

Boats illegally extracting sand were seized from Shevre (Taluka Madha) side along the bridge on Narsinghpur side. Tahsildar Jeevan Bansode said no one has been booked so far as no one has come forward regarding the boats. The operation continued from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tehsildar Bansode received information that illegal sand mining was taking place. A joint team comprising Assistant Police Inspector Shankar Raut, Constable Jagannath Kalsait, Police More and Revenue Minor Minerals Balasaheb Mohite, Talati Amol Hajgude, Rajabhau Pisal, Vitthal Dupargude, Kotwal Tatya Waghmode and Sangram Bandgar of Bawda Durkshetra took action.

The boats have been seized and loaded into highway trucks with the help of cranes and kept at the tehsil office. A large number of people had gathered at the bridge over the Bhima river to watch the operation. No case was registered till late in the night.

Illegal extraction of sand is being done by five mechanised boats from Shevre in Madha taluka. However, two of the boats entered indapur taluka limits and were extracting sand and were seized.

But will the Madha tehsildar have the courage to take action even though three boats are still illegally extracting sand on the Shevre side? This is the question raised by many knowledgeable citizens.