Vijayawada, Sept. 5: The department f mines and geology booked 98 cases against illegal transportation of sand during the current financial year. A special check-post was set up at Nandigama to control unauthorised quarrying and stocking of sand in Krishna district, according to assistant director of mines and geology, Mr Srinivas. The vigilance and enforcement teams will be strengthened to check activities of the sand mafia, he said. In the western parts of the district, seven mandals including Nandigama, Jaggaiahpeta, Veerulapadu, Vastavai, Kanchikacherla, Chandarlapadu and Penuganchiprolu are under Nandigama division where mining activity is high. In this division, 38 sand reaches have been identified out of which only one reach is functioning. As many as 20 reaches have not been auctioned for want of clearance from the groundwater department and four other reaches could not be auctioned due to court stay orders. Though auction was completed for 13 reaches, contractors managed to halt the mining activity by filing litigations in various courts. The strategy of the contractors is affecting the revenue of the government and giving way for illegal quarrying of sand. "The illegal transportation of sand has been brought to the notice of the director of mines and geology at Hyderabad. Hence, the vigilance activity was stren-gthened in Nandigama division," the ADMG said. Three vigilance squads were constituted to check the unauthorised quarrying of sand in the river beds and streams after the issue was brought to the notice of the zonal joint director of the department at Ongole in Prakasam district. The vigilance squads raided eight villages which are situated on the banks of Krishna river and Munneru rivulet where illegal quarrying was rampant. The joint collector of Krishna district who is chairman of the District Level Sand Committee assured the mining department that the revenue and panchayat raj officials would extend their support in controlling the illegal transportation and stocking of sand. The district authorities are also trying to get stay orders issued by the High Court vacated so that the auctioned quarries could start functioning.