Nanded Police destroy ₹3.15 crore illegal sand mining gear in Godavari crackdown
Synopsis
Nanded Police detonated nine iron boats with gelatin sticks and destroyed over ₹3.15 crore worth of sand mining infrastructure along the Godavari riverbed in a single coordinated sweep — one of the largest such crackdowns in the district, with cases now being filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Key Takeaways
Nanded Police destroyed illegal sand mining equipment worth ₹3.15 crore along the Godavari river on 16 October 2026 .
Nine large iron boats valued at ₹2.70 crore were blown up using gelatin sticks in controlled explosions.
23 floating rafts , one smaller boat, a sand extraction engine, and a tipper truck were also seized or destroyed.
The operation was ordered by SP Neelabh Rohan and led by SDPO Manik Bendre across three police station jurisdictions.
Cases are being registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Nanded Rural , Mudkhed , and Airport police stations.
Police stated that similar drives will continue to protect the river ecosystem and prevent government revenue losses.
Police in Nanded, Maharashtra seized and destroyed illegal sand mining equipment and materials worth ₹3.15 crore in a coordinated crackdown on extraction operations along the Godavari river, officials confirmed on Sunday, 18 October 2026. The operation, carried out on 16 October, targeted multiple illegal sand extraction points along the riverbed simultaneously.
How the Operation Unfolded
The crackdown was launched on the instructions of Nanded Superintendent of Police Neelabh Rohan and led on the ground by Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Manik Bendre. Teams drawn from Nanded Rural, Airport, and Mudkhed police stations conducted raids in a coordinated sweep across several extraction sites. The operation was supervised by Police Inspectors Ashok Jadhav, Ganesh Karad, and Ramdas Shendge, along with their respective units.
What Was Seized and Destroyed
According to the official police statement, the operation resulted in the destruction of nine large iron boats, each valued at ₹30 lakh — a combined worth of ₹2.70 crore. These boats were destroyed on-site through controlled explosions using gelatin sticks, following requisite documentation. Additionally, one smaller boat valued at ₹15 lakh and a sand extraction engine worth ₹3.5 lakh were also destroyed.
A further 23 floating rafts, each valued at ₹50,000, and 58 brasses of illegally extracted sand — with a combined estimated value of ₹14.40 lakh — were disposed of by burning and immersion in the river. Police also seized a tipper truck loaded with two brasses of sand, valued at ₹12.10 lakh.
Legal Action Initiated
Cases are being registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Nanded Rural, Mudkhed, and Airport police stations. The multi-station legal process signals an intent to prosecute operators across the entire network of extraction points targeted during the raids.
Why This Crackdown Matters
Illegal sand mining from rivers such as the Godavari is a persistent problem across Maharashtra and several other states, causing significant ecological damage to riverbeds and riverbanks, disrupting aquatic habitats, and resulting in substantial revenue losses for the government. This is not an isolated action — authorities across Maharashtra have escalated enforcement drives in recent years following court directives and environmental assessments flagging the scale of illegal extraction. Police said such special operations would continue with the twin objectives of protecting the river ecosystem and recovering lost government revenue. Notably, the use of controlled explosions to destroy iron boats underscores the scale of the infrastructure being dismantled.
Point of View
Capital-intensive operations. What this crackdown does not yet answer is how such a large flotilla operated undetected for long enough to justify that level of investment. The legal process under the BNS is the real test: equipment destruction makes for visible enforcement, but without prosecution and conviction, it functions more as a cost of doing business for well-resourced mining networks than a deterrent. Maharashtra has seen repeated cycles of seizure and resumption in sand-rich districts; the measure of this operation's success will be whether the FIRs result in sustained disruption or become another entry in a long ledger of inconclusive action.
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Nanded sand mining crackdown?
Nanded Police destroyed illegal sand mining equipment worth ₹3.15 crore along the Godavari riverbed on 16 October 2026, including nine large iron boats blown up with gelatin sticks, 23 floating rafts, a sand extraction engine, and a tipper truck. The operation was conducted simultaneously across multiple extraction sites by teams from three police stations.
Who led the Nanded illegal sand mining operation?
The operation was ordered by Nanded Superintendent of Police Neelabh Rohan and conducted under the leadership of Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Manik Bendre, with Police Inspectors Ashok Jadhav, Ganesh Karad, and Ramdas Shendge supervising on the ground.
What legal action has been taken against those involved?
Cases are being registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Nanded Rural, Mudkhed, and Airport police stations. The process was initiated following the raids on 16 October 2026.
Why is illegal sand mining a serious problem on the Godavari?
Illegal sand mining causes significant ecological damage to riverbeds and aquatic habitats while resulting in substantial government revenue losses. Maharashtra authorities have intensified enforcement in recent years following court directives and environmental assessments highlighting the extent of illegal extraction across the state.
Will similar crackdowns continue in Nanded?
Yes, police have stated that special drives against illegal sand mining will continue with the objectives of protecting the Godavari river ecosystem and preventing revenue losses to the government.
