With a slew of infrastructure projects underway in the district, sand mining has emerged as a lucrative business. Taking advantage of the rising demand, sand mafia have come into business and are not only looting natural resources but also Government revenue. Though three sand lifting points on river Ib bank have been leased on monthly basis, many trucks could be seen lifting sand from the riverside in broad daylight without any permit. According to sources, 1,662 square metre sand is allowed to be lifted in a month from the sand points for which permits have been issued. But everyday, around 250 trips are made by the tippers. In most cases, the loading is done beyond the capacity with around 1000 to 1200 sqmtr sand being transported daily causing revenue loss of more than `10 lakh to the State Government every month. The unrestrained mining is also upsetting the ability of natural process to replenish the sand causing erosion and weakening river bed. Jharsuguda Tehsildar Bhawesh Nayak said, “Regular checks are being conducted to collect additional revenue from the sand mafia. Ten sand points were supposed to be auctioned for 2013-14 fiscal year with revenue collection of around `40 lakh. But only three points have been auctioned.”