By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Following the bifurcation of Bihar and Jharkhand, a widely quoted phrase has gained popularity among the people of Bihar: “Only sand (Balu) and Lalu remain in Bihar.” In other words, post-division, sand was among the few significant resources left to the state. Particularly prized is the high-quality sand from the Sone River — often referred to as “golden sand”. Unfortunately, this ‘gold’ has become an open loot, with the state government allegedly granting free rein to the sand mafia through licences.
The toll of this unregulated sand trade is most visible on the roads. From Bihta through Paliganj and Arwal to Aurangabad, both state and national highways have deteriorated severely due to the relentless movement of overloaded sand trucks. The situation is so dire that it defies description. Daily, there are severe traffic jams caused by thousands of sand-laden trucks, either crawling along or haphazardly parked. The threat of a traffic snarl looms large at all times.
While Patna Police and the Paliganj sub-divisional administration appear to be in deep slumber, they occasionally spring into action only during VIP or VVIP movements — and even that’s short-lived. Once the dignitaries pass, the police retreat, leaving ordinary citizens at the mercy of fate.
To be clear, this is not a recent phenomenon. For months now, from Patna to Naubatpur, Bikram, Bihta, Dulhin Bazaar, Paliganj, Mahabalipur, Prasadi English, Arwal, Baidrabad, Mehndia, Kaler, and Daudnagar — indeed across both banks of the Son River — the same horrific gridlock persists. The local administrations of Patna, Arwal, Aurangabad, Ara and Rohtas remain helpless in the face of this crisis.
The police make a half-hearted effort to clear traffic occasionally, only to disappear again, leaving the public stranded. However, they display sudden enthusiasm when it comes to intercepting trucks carrying overloaded sand illegally. At such times, everything else — including the suffering public — is sidelined, and the focus shifts to extracting bribes from truck operators.
‘Dharamkanta’ – A Hotbed of Corruption
The worst-hit areas are Bikram, Dulhin Bazaar, Paliganj, and the riverside stretches between Bihta and Maner. These regions have witnessed extreme traffic congestion, primarily due to the unchecked operations of numerous weighbridges (‘Dharamkanta’), which have become breeding grounds for corruption.
Trucks are often illegally loaded multiple times with sand under a single transport challan, with weighbridges manipulated as though they were sacrificial goats. After one truck is weighed, the sand is quietly transferred to other trucks, effectively bypassing regulations. These ‘Dharamkantas’ have turned into centres for cheap sand trade, unregulated traffic, and illicit earnings for the police. The entire operation appears to run with a fixed “protection fee” paid to authorities.
Another major contributor to traffic chaos is the illegal stockpiling of sand on roadsides. Open storage of sand along highways leads to the clustering of hundreds of trucks waiting to load or unload sand, causing total roadblocks. Yet again, the police remain mute spectators.
This unholy nexus between sand mafias and law enforcement continues unchecked.
Unanswered Questions
Why has the state allowed such a crippling situation to fester? Granted, sand mining contributes significantly to state revenue. But can this not be regulated? Why is Patna Police failing to manage it? Has the problem become so unmanageable that even the district administration and police have admitted defeat? Or is it that the enormous bribes involved in illegal sand trade have paralysed the system?
Every day, somewhere or the other, a major traffic jam occurs. The common citizen bears the brunt — today in Dulhin Bazaar, yesterday in Paliganj, tomorrow in Bikram. Will this cycle continue endlessly? Will the public continue to suffer?
The sand of the Son River, once a valuable resource, has now become a curse, with sand-laden trucks turning into an ever-growing menace on Bihar’s roads — a tragedy that has now become a way of life.
