Bihar’s sand mining resumption to be a relief for the state: Janak Ram

27 Sep 2021 CW Team

The resumption of sand mining at all the sanctioned ghats in Bihar from October 1 would provide much-needed relief to those who have been affected by the ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), according to Janak Ram, Minister of Mines and Geology.

Sand would be available at government-determined rates, he added. From July 1 to September 30, sand mining is prohibited in Bihar for three months.

The minister told the media that the department was planning to use drone cameras to monitor the mining ghats, but that permission from the government had not yet been granted.

He further added that the plan is to keep an eye on the illegal activities of sand mafias in districts such as Bhojpur, Aurangabad, Patna, Rohtas, and Saran.

Earlier, during a review meeting a few days ago, chief minister Nitish Kumar asked the concerned authorities to check illegal mining.

He had previously stated that officials with ties to the mining mafias would face severe consequences. The Economic Offenses Unit recently launched an investigation into 41 officials, including two IPS officers, for alleged ties to the sand mafia.

The Sone, Ganga, Gandak, Falgu, Kamla Balan, Kosi, and Parman rivers' sand was usually mined, according to the media. Meanwhile, attacks on police officers have become more common in recent years.

On September 7, a police team from the Rampur police station in Gaya district were attacked by the members of the illegal sand mafia. Naurangi Mistri, a member of the home guard, was shot and injured.

On the same day, over 100 miscreants attacked a team of district police in Saran, injuring several officers.

On September 1, sand mafia members assaulted a joint team of the district police and the mining department in Banka district. According to the police, a constable was seriously injured during the attack.

Image Source

Also read: Sand mining: CEC slams Rajasthan govt

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..