Sand Mafia Tightens Grip on Riverbeds as Enforcement Directorate Uncovers Crores in Odisha Mining Racket
Wherever rivers carve their way through the country, the sand mafia is quick to follow. Riverbeds that should sustain ecosystems and livelihoods often become hotspots of illegal sand and stone mining, driven by muscle power, political patronage, and vast profits.
Despite repeated crackdowns, the menace continues to scar the environment, drain state revenues, and embolden criminal networks.
In the latest action against this entrenched problem, the Enforcement Directorate on Friday recovered ₹2.5 crore in cash during a series of search operations conducted at multiple locations in Ganjam.
The searches are linked to alleged illegal excavation and sale of minor minerals such as sand and black stone.
According to officials, the raids targeted premises connected to brokers, habitual offenders with serious criminal antecedents, and other associates, including gangsters, who allegedly relied on intimidation and brute force to run illegal mining operations.
Investigators said these networks operated with impunity along riverbeds, extracting and transporting minerals in blatant violation of environmental and mining laws.
During the searches, the agency seized an almirah stuffed with cash running into crores, along with high-end vehicles, documents related to immovable properties, mining agreements, and lease papers executed by those under investigation.
The recoveries, officials said, point to the massive scale of profits generated by illegal mining.
The ED revealed that it had initiated the probe after registering an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), based on multiple FIRs filed against sand mafia groups involved in unlawful mining and transportation activities across the district.
“The investigation is being conducted comprehensively to identify the full money trail and the beneficiaries of illegal mining in Odisha,” an official said.
The crackdown comes close on the heels of a damning report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, which flagged rampant illegal mining along the riverbeds of the Rushikulya, Bahuda and Bada rivers in Ganjam district.
The report noted that unchecked excavation had caused significant losses to the state exchequer while inflicting long-term damage on riverine ecosystems.
Environmental experts warn that illegal sand mining destabilises riverbanks, lowers groundwater levels, increases flood risks, and destroys aquatic habitats.
Yet, as this case shows, the lure of easy money continues to overpower regulation, with criminal syndicates stepping in wherever enforcement weakens.
As agencies tighten the noose in Ganjam, the larger question remains unanswered: how long can rivers be protected when the sand beneath them is treated as an open treasure chest by organised mafias?
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