Line in the Sand
India's building boom has spawned an illegal trade in sand. Plundering the environment and even killing those who get in its way, the so-called sand mafia has spread its influence throughout India.
Sand is the key to the construction industry, but there is no legal supply to meet the increasing demand. This report uncovers the criminal gangs ravaging riverbeds and beaches for an estimated $250 million a year. Farmer Brijmohan Yadav's plot was devastated by illegal sand mining. His complaints were ignored. "The mafia is so influential. They have police and local authorities on their side."
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