Patrolling along the Cauvery and the Amaravati in Karur district has been stepped up to check illegal sand mining.Illegal sand mining was till recently rampant in the region with the sand being smuggled to Namakkal, Salem, Karur, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and other areas.While there were reports that illegal mining had come down in recent times, environmentalists said it continued in different parts of the district. Officials have identified 30 places as vulnerable for sand mining on the riverbeds of the two rivers. Mettupalayam, Kadambankurichi, Kalipalayam, Vangal, Mallampalayam, Nerur, Vadapagam, Thenpagam, Pudupalayam, Aranganathanpettai, Thirumukkudalur, Thottakurichi, Manmangalam, Amaravathi, Somur, Koyampalli, Thirumanilaiyur, Sukkaliyur, Sellandipalayam, and Chinnandankoil are among them.According to sources, district-level monitoring teams, including officials from police, revenue and mines and minerals department are patrolling the riverbeds of the Cauvery and the Amaravati.Drones have been engaged to monitor the movement of sand lorries and smuggling activities in the Cauvery and Amaravati.Collector C. Muthukumaran said stone quarries and crusher companies operating in the district would be monitored and the officials had been directed to check vehicles carrying minerals from quarries and crushers. Circle level monitoring teams had been formed to step up vigil on sand smugglers. If violations were found, the vehicles involved in sand smuggling would be confiscated and cases would be registered against the sand smugglers.Mr. Muthukumaran said members of the public can 9499002246 (Mineral Resources Department) and 04324-296299 (Police Department) to report illegal sand mining in the Amaravati and the Cauvery.Welcoming the steps to prevent sand smuggling, S. Vijayan of the Cauvery Protection Movement said the environmentalists and members of the movement would mountain vigil on the movement of lorries and trucks indulged in illegal sand mining. Published - July 17, 2026 07:11 pm IST