Letter to Editor, The Hitawada and Collector Nagpur.on 13/09/2013.on subject:CHEAPEST WAY TO LOCATE SAND MINING SITES.

 Sand Mining had made head lines some time back when an upright officer Durga was treated shabbily by UP Govt.In reality , it is also likely that due to shortage of man power our concerned officers may be unaware as to where all sand mining is being carried out in areas under their jurisdiction . If they had this information it would then be easy to check whether the sand mining being carried out is illegal or legal.And then necessary action may be ordered against all such illegal sand mining.

HOW TO LOCATE SAND MINING SITES.

Zoom sufficiently on satellite imagery on maps . Follow any river . When you locate any cart / tractor or other track entering river bed , zoom further and  examine . It may be an innocent river crossing point for poor villagers as our able Government has not been able to build bridges and roads to connect villages in the remote parts of the country.If it is not a river crossing point and is located in an area in a relatively isolated area ,then in all probability you have , found a sand mining location . It can be further identified/confirmed by observing diggings /craters left in the riverbed by sand mining. Once the location is identified police can be sent there to check if it is legal or otherwise .Suitable action can then follow.

To demonstrate and help in identifying what I mean here is an example are three maps These three examples.are maps of areas around Nagpur .These   are on Kanhan,Pench and Bramhnai Rivers.
These maps are screen shots of the map shown below.To see interactive map go to this link .

To see the individual maps of Kanhan , Pench and Brmhani River ,please click on the respective link of those places in the left hand panel . 

 Tell Tale Tracks leading to river bed. At max zoom levels and in these locations one can  even see the pits created  where sand has been mined.Map showing three most likely places.Found within 15 odd minutes.
To see interactive map go to this link.

This map is slightly higher zoom showing the spot on Kahnan River 

Locality near Khapa Village on Kahnam River.

This map is slightly higher zoom showing on of the spot on Pench River 

Locality near Kalapatha Village on Pench River.

This map is slightly higher zoom showing on of the spot on Bramhani  River .

Locality near Kalapatha Village on Bramhani  River.

Now all these sites need not be illegal. Quite a few of them may be honest business ventures .However . I know that for every one legitimate site there will be at least 10 illegal sites.

These images have been taken from free feed of google maps and hence the images would be as much as up to 3 years out of date . Also resolution is not as one would like to have.Still I am confident that despite images being out of date . more than 80 % would still be in business . The concerned authorities can pay for and get live feed where suspected sites can be viewed with greater resolution and also in real time .

PM Velankar,VM.

Group Captain(retd)