Transportation of Sand, Construction Material: Odisha Tightens Enforcement

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to curb road hazards and illegal practices linked to the movement of construction material, the State Transport Authority (STA), Odisha, has directed all transport enforcement agencies to intensify checks on the transportation of sand and other uncovered construction materials across the state.

Under the revised enforcement regime, the STA has made it clear that no vehicle carrying sand or construction material will be permitted to operate if it is overloaded or if the material is not properly covered. Enforcement officials have been specifically instructed to conduct inspections at loading points, including sand ghats and quarries, to ensure strict compliance before vehicles are allowed to exit.

The STA has also written to the Director of Minor Minerals, calling for coordinated and preventive action among transport, mining and district administrations to ensure safe and regulated movement of construction material. The communication underscores that lax enforcement at the source has been a major contributor to unsafe transportation practices, leading to spillage, accidents and environmental degradation.

Citing repeated judicial observations, the STA noted that the High Court of Orissa and other courts have consistently emphasised the need for strict regulation and monitoring of sand transportation, holding that uncovered and unsafe transport poses a serious threat to public safety. The courts have also underlined the statutory responsibility of authorities to prevent violations at the source—namely, sand ghats and loading points.

The notification refers to Rule 138 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, which mandates that goods carried in open-body vehicles must be covered with tarpaulin or other suitable material, rendering uncovered transportation illegal. It also invokes Sections 21 and 23 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, read with the Odisha Minor Minerals Concession (OMMC) Rules, which empower the state to regulate and impose conditions on the extraction and transportation of minor minerals such as sand. Any violation, it said, could attract penal and administrative action, including suspension or cancellation of leases.

To operationalise the directive, the STA has asked district mining officers and leaseholders to ensure that no vehicle exits a loading point unless the sand is fully covered and securely tied with tarpaulin or HDPE sheets on all sides. Loading supervisors and ghat staff will be held personally accountable for compliance. The authority has also suggested introducing a simple “Cover Before Exit” checklist and using CCTV footage, wherever available, to record the covered condition of vehicles.

Repeated violations could lead to stringent action, including suspension of operations, cancellation of leases and escalation to district collectors for further proceedings, the STA warned.