ગુજરાતી
30 thousand river sand thieves caught, Every year average 7 to 8 thousand complaints and crimes, Every year an average of 7 to 8 thousand complaints and crimes are registered regarding illegal sand mining.
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, July 18, 2026
A massive rally has been taken out from 17 main and 182 other rivers of Gujarat without lease and without lease. Where it is left, it will be removed in a few years.
According to the report presented in Parliament and Assembly, 30 thousand 146 cases of illegal mining were registered in Gujarat in 4 years.
Every year, an average of 7 to 8 thousand complaints and crimes are registered in Gujarat regarding illegal sand mining from rivers.
According to the report presented in Parliament and Assembly, 30,146 cases of illegal mining were registered in Gujarat in 4 years.
The Mines and Minerals Department, local police and flying squads are responsible to stop this theft from the river banks.
The fine charged for illegal mining in the state has increased by 144 percent.
In the four years between 2017-21, the number of registered cases of illegal mining in Gujarat has decreased by 10 percent.
The drone surveillance project in rivers started by former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in 2018 has been discontinued.
The maximum recovery has come from the tribal districts of Chhota Udaipur and Kutch, which are considered rich in major and minor minerals.
In 2021-22, the department has spent approximately Rs. 105 crores have been collected, which is Rs.105 crores in the last financial year. It is more than Rs 105 crore. According to Geology Commissioner’s data, this is not just two per cent more than Rs 103 crore, but also 144 per cent more than Rs 43 crore collected in 2016-17.
Between 2016-17 and 2021-22 (till December 2021), more than Rs 691 crore was collected as fine.
Chhota Udaipur (famous for fluorspar and dolomite) saw the highest collection (Rs 41 crore), while Kutch (bauxite, limestone, lignite) and Surendranagar (sub-bituminous coal) also saw higher collections of Rs 38 crore and Rs 35 crore respectively.
Gir Somnath: Nandrakh Village
Illegal sand extraction in Malan river.
The natural structure of Malan River has been greatly damaged.
Gir Somnath: There is a lot of anger among the villagers over the issue of illegal sand mining in Nandrakh village of Una taluka of the district. A large number of villagers gathered on the banks of Malan river passing through the village and protested. Due to illegal sand mining that has been going on for years, the natural structure of the Malan River has suffered a lot, the river bed has become deep and the banks built for protection have become weak and broken at some places. Due to this, during the recent heavy rains, river water entered the village, flooding more than 60 houses and causing damage worth lakhs of rupees.
A large quantity of illegal sand is extracted from the river day and night with the help of tractors, dumpers and more than four JCB machines.
This sand is supplied to different areas of Una Taluka as well as Diu.
The groundwater level is also continuously going down. Because of this, farmers are facing difficulties in irrigation and villagers in drinking water.
The environment, water flow and biodiversity of the river has also been adversely affected.
There are also allegations of large-scale illegal sand mining around Pankhan, Nesda and Paswala, Kandhi villages.
Despite informing the Minerals Department, Mamlatdar’s office and District Administration several times, no concrete and effective action has been taken till date. Sometimes two-four vehicles laden with sand are considered appropriate for quick action, but strict action is not taken against those doing illegal mining.
Due to continuous running of overloaded tractors and dumpers filled with sand on the internal and main roads of the village, many roads have been blocked and the roads are also getting badly damaged. The risk of accident has also increased.
Una Provincial Officer Kaushik Parmar said, “The entire matter has been reported to the Mines and Minerals Department and a team has been sent to the spot for investigation. However, the concerned officials are in a meeting in Gandhinagar, so what action has been taken is not known yet. Information about further action will be given on the basis of the investigation report and information received from the department.”
The protesters raised slogans like “Mineral mafia, hi…hi…”, “Land mafia, hi…hi…”, “Stop illegal sand mining…”, “Save Malan river…” and “Save environment…”.
He demanded confiscation of JCB, tractor and dumper and proper compensation to the families affected by the flood.
Former Una MLA Punja Vansh also reached Nandrakh village. He visited the broken embankment of Malan river. He also met the families affected by the floods. There has been a demand for action against those responsible.
Raid on illegal sand mining in Vasad Mahisagar area: Goods worth Rs 4.32 crore seized
una nandarch
River embankment broken, villagers allege that flood water entered more than 60 houses
The river bed became 20 feet deep
Besides being weak, the protection embankment has been breached at some places. River water entered the village, 60 houses were flooded.
Nagnesh
Tenders have been issued to dig out sand from 33 hectares of land in 2 talukas Ranpur, Gadhada of Bhadar River and nearby villages. Out of this, 44.44 lakh tonnes of sand is found in Nagnesh, Pajpipala, Peepal, Adarala, Ishwariya, Meghwadiya, Nagala,
Sand will be excavated from the rivers near Surka and Keriya villages.
Constructing a single room requires 3 tonnes of sand. Based on this calculation, 1.5 million (15 lakh) rooms could be built.
Gandhinagar
On July 15, the Department of Mines and Minerals issued a tender.
This tender calls for the excavation of 12.561 million (125.61 lakh) tonnes of sand from 98 hectares of government land and the Sabarmati River in Gandhinagar district.
Cubic feet = On average, 3 tonnes of sand are required per room. The sand from the Gandhinagar tender could facilitate the construction of 4.2 to 5 million (42 to 50 lakh) rooms.
According to construction sector estimates, 500,000 (5 lakh) new flats, bungalows, and houses are built annually in Gujarat’s private sector.
Government sector (PMAY): 150,000 to 160,000 (1.5 to 1.6 lakh) units are built.
In total, 650,000 (6.5 lakh) new houses are constructed. If unregistered units are also included, the figure rises to 1 million (10 lakh) houses.
According to the Census:
2001: 9,691,362 houses
2011: 12,181,718 houses
Increase over 10 years: 2,490,356
Average annual increase: 249,000 (2.49 lakh)
10-year growth: 25.7%
2021 estimate: 15.3 million (1.53 crore) houses.
2026 projection: Could reach 17.4 million (1.74 crore) houses.
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Gandhinagar
On July 15, the Department of Mines and Minerals issued a tender calling for the excavation of 12.561 million (125.61 lakh) tonnes of sand from 98 hectares of government land and the Sabarmati River in Gandhinagar district.
Cubic feet = On average, 100 cubic feet (equivalent to 3 tonnes) of sand is required per room. The sand from the Gandhinagar tender could facilitate the construction of 4.2 to 5 million (42 to 50 lakh) rooms. Patan (One month ago)
Action: Notice imposing a fine of ₹61.91 lakh for the illegal mining of 17,704 metric tonnes of sand.
Patan
Sabarmati River
Illegal mining has altered the flow of the Sabarmati River.
Officials were investigating the son of a BJP leader.
Unregulated mining is taking place in the Sabarmati River near Ahmedabad, and the involvement of a BJP leader’s son has come to light. Officials from the Mining and Minerals Department appear to be turning a blind eye to these activities.
While builders insist on using branded cement and steel for large urban construction projects, sand is a material they can source cheaply from almost anywhere—an opportunity they rarely miss.
Dumpers transport sand from the Sabarmati River to urban areas day and night.
Mining mafias have dug deep pits in the Sabarmati River area, about 4 km from Visalpur village. These mafias operate arbitrarily on government wasteland. A similar situation prevails in villages like Mahijda and Navapura, located near the Sabarmati River. Haresh Desai, who has been vocal against illegal sand mining, has lodged complaints with the Mining Department and the Collector’s office, submitting evidence that includes photographs and drone footage. This video is from the Mahijda village area. Notably, this section of the Sabarmati River has changed drastically in a short time; until late 2016, water flowed here uninterrupted. However, road construction work began in the area in early 2017. Navapura village, located near Mahijda, is facing a similar situation. To gauge the extent of the mining, we analyzed satellite imagery to understand the changes that have occurred here over the past decade. Where crops once swayed in the fields and the riverbank resembled a vast open ground, excavation has now left behind deep pits. In many places, contaminated water laced with chemicals has accumulated.
It took officials six months to file a police complaint.
Illegal sand mining was taking place in the river near Visalpur village. Vipul Yogi, a Royalty Inspector from the Mines Department, conducted a raid on January 6, 2025, and seized a mechanical boat worth ₹6 lakh.
Instead of retaining custody of the boat, the officer handed it over to a local resident, Prithviraj Thakor.
On July 7, 2025, another individual named Haresh Desai informed an officer from the Mines and Minerals Department about the matter.
On July 9, 2025, two officers—Royalty Inspector S.B. Vadhel and Surveyor K.S. Mehta—visited the site to conduct an inspection.
According to Haresh Desai’s letter, Bharat Makwana, Baldevji Thakor, and Ketan Thakor were stealing minerals. The mechanical boat is owned by Ramubhai.
Nagnesh
Tenders have been issued for sand extraction from the Bhadar River and 33 hectares of land across nearby villages in the Ranpur and Gadhada talukas. A total of 44.44 lakh tonnes of sand is to be extracted from the riverbeds near the villages of Nagnesh, Pajpipla, Pipal, Adatala, Ishwariya, Meghvadiya, Nagla, Surka, and Keriya.
Since 3 tonnes of sand are required to build a single room, this quantity is sufficient to construct 1.5 million (15 lakh) rooms. (Google translation from Gujarati; please refer to the original report.)
