September 10, 2025

Hold your breath, Kolkata! The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a massive action on Monday, raiding over 20 locations across the city and districts like North 24 Parganas, Jhargram, and Midnapore. The mission? To stop illegal sand mining ruining our river banks in West Bengal. Starting as early as 6am, ED teams swept through offices of private firms involved in sand mining, searched homes, and even knocked on the door of an insurance agent’s house. According to an ED official, “Teams are searching multiple locations in Kolkata and in some districts.” But why the big fuss? Illegal mining of sand and river bed material (RBM) — which includes boulders, gravel, and sand — is running wild in many parts of both south and north Bengal. This criminal activity is harming our environment and destroying rivers’ natural flow. With these raids, the ED hopes to tighten the noose on those profiting from these unlawful activities. The buzzing energy and wide-scale searches show the seriousness of this crackdown. Sand might seem simple, but this stuff causes big troubles, and finally, law enforcement is saying, "Enough!" So, stay tuned as the ED continues to dig deeper into this murky business, aiming to protect our precious river beds and keep West Bengal’s banks safe and sound.

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Tags: Enforcement directorate, Illegal sand mining, West bengal, Kolkata raids, River bed material, Ed searches,