29 September,2026 08:07 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
The seized equipment was estimated to be worth around Rs 3.50 crore, officials said. Pic/Special Arrangement
The Thane district administration in Maharashtra has seized 10 illegal barges and 16 suction pumps allegedly being used for unauthorised sand extraction in the Dive-Kewani creek area of Bhiwandi, officials said on Tuesday.
The seized equipment, estimated to be worth around Rs 3.50 crore, was being destroyed as part of the action, according to the district administration.
The operation was carried out jointly by teams from the revenue department, district mining department, vigilance squads, police and the Maharashtra Maritime Board.
The search operation began on Monday night and continued into the early hours of Tuesday. Around 2.45 am, officials spotted illegal sand extraction activity near the Dive-Kewani crematorium area, the administration said.
The operation was led by District Mining Officer Vivek Ghule, along with vigilance squads, Bhiwandi Tehsildar Abhijit Khole, Thane Tehsildar Umesh Patil and other officials.
According to the administration, workers at the site attempted to avoid the action by opening the valves of the barges and suction pumps and sinking the equipment in the creek.
Officials also alleged that, while attempting to flee, one of the barges hit mangroves in the creek, causing damage to the vegetation.
Most of the workers reportedly jumped into the deeper waters and fled after noticing the enforcement team. However, officials detained a 19-year-old worker, originally from Sahibganj in Jharkhand.
He was handed over to the police for further legal action.
The administration said all 10 seized barges were found to be unregistered with the Maharashtra Maritime Board and were therefore unauthorised.
Officials said the administration waited for low tide before entering the creek to recover the barges.
The officials closed the valves of the submerged barges and brought them back to the surface. The barges and suction pumps were then moved with the help of boats to Ganesh Ghat in Kalwa and Mumbra for scrapping.
The seized equipment has been placed under the custody of Kharbao Circle Officer Sudhakar Kamdi, officials said.
The district administration said legal proceedings were being initiated at Bhiwandi and Mumbra Police stations under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Environment Protection Act and revenue laws.
Officials said the action was aimed at curbing unauthorised sand extraction and preventing further environmental damage.
The administration has also said that enforcement action against illegal sand mining will continue across Thane district.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Thane District Collector Dr Shrikrishna Panchal and Additional District Collector Harishchandra Patil.
Sub-Divisional Officers Amit Sanap and Urmila Patil, Tehsildars Abhijit Khole and Umesh Patil, District Mining Officer Vivek Ghule, Circle Officer Sudhakar Kamdi and other revenue officials were involved in the operation.
Members of the vigilance squads, including Assistant Revenue Officer Sanjay Balram Jadhav, Revenue Assistants Dinesh Borhade, Darshan Nate and Anil Rajpure, along with police personnel, also took part in the operation.
