Thane Administration Seizes 10 Illegal Sand Mining Barges, 16 Suction Pumps Worth ₹3.6 Crore In Dive-Kewani Creek Raid

Thane: In one of the biggest crackdowns on illegal sand mining in Thane district, the district administration seized 10 illegal barges and 16 powerful suction pumps during a late-night operation at the Dive-Kewani creek in Bhiwandi taluka. Equipment estimated to be worth between ₹3.50 crore and ₹3.60 crore is now being dismantled and destroyed as part of the action.

Operation Conducted On Collector’s Directions

The operation was carried out on the directions of Thane District Collector Dr Shrikrishna Panchal and Additional Collector Harish chandra Patil. The search operation which began on Monday night, reached a crucial stage at around 2.45am on Tuesday when the enforcement team detected large-scale illegal sand extraction in the creek near the Dive-Kewani crematorium.

The operation was led by District Mining Officer Vivek Ghule, along with Thane Tehsildar Umesh Patil and Bhiwandi Tehsildar Abhijit Khole and their respective teams. The officials were conducting surveillance in the creek when they spotted the illegal activity being carried out under the cover of darkness.

As soon as the operators realised that the administration had reached the spot, panic broke out among the workers. In an attempt to evade action some workers reportedly opened the valves of the barges and suction pumps, apparently trying to sink the equipment in the creek.

In the process of fleeing, one of the barges also collided with the natural mangrove cover along the creek, causing damage to the fragile coastal ecosystem.

Workers jump into deep water to escape

Most of the workers managed to escape by jumping into the deep waters of the creek after spotting the enforcement team. However the officials managed to catch 19-year-old Toheeb Shaikh at the spot. He was handed over to the police for further legal action.

During the preliminary investigation, officials found that none of the 10 seized barges was registered with the Maharashtra Maritime Board, raising serious questions over their operation in the creek.

Sunken barges retrieved, destruction process begins

After the operators deliberately sank the barges the administration waited for the tide to recede before launching the recovery operation. Once the water level dropped, officials entered the creek, shut the valves and brought the submerged barges back to the surface.

The seized barges and suction pumps were subsequently moved with the help of boats towards Ganesh Ghat in Kalwa and Mumbra, where the process of dismantling and destroying the equipment was initiated.

Officials said cases are being registered at Bhiwandi and Mumbra police stations under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, environmental protection laws and revenue laws for alleged illegal sand mining and damage to the environment.

The administration has termed the operation a major success in its ongoing campaign against illegal sand extraction in the district. It has also reiterated that a “zero-tolerance” policy will be followed against illegal sand mining, with similar enforcement drives expected to continue across the district.

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