Environmentalists working in the region said that camels were the latest "vehicle of choice" after police started seizing tractor-trolleys and trucks used for carrying sand by mining mafias from the Chambal river in several villages of Etawah after the Durga Shakti Nagpal issue highlighted illegal mining.

Environmentalists said in spite of the Supreme Court directives, illegal mining by mafias, who are now using camels, is rampant in the Etawah region which is the hometown of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

An environmentalist and wildlife expert active in the region, Rajiv Chauhan, said, "Mining mafias have changed their modus operandi and they have now opted for traditional method by using camels instead of tractor trolleys and trucks which were easier by the police to detect. The mafia groups are making Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 per trip by illegally digging sand from the river beds of Chambal and transporting it to the neighbouring districts on camels, besides bordering districts of Madhya Pradesh including Bhind and Morena."

Police sources said nearly 200 camels are being used by sand mafias hailing from villages including Baswara, Gadhaita, Madaiyan Karilgarh, Baroli and Barecha, which falls under National Chambal Sanctuary, to transport sand to bordering areas of the district. A few gang members using camels have also been arrested and the camels seized.

Sand mafias did not take long to locate buyers of the sand. "All the above villages are located on the UP-MP border. They dig the sand from Chambal river particularly in the upstream and downstream of Udi village and after stuffing in sacks transport it to 'safer-points', besides areas close to the border with Madhya Pradesh on camel-backs," said another environmentalist preferring anonymity.

At the pickup points, the sand is further transferred to sand ?mandis' in trucks and tractor-trolleys, said another nature lover.

The National Chambal Sanctuary officials said they have booked more than a dozen cases across the district in the last few months. Yet, there seems to be no stoppage of illegal activities.

The officials however further added that sand mafias having a strong police-political nexus are reportedly pocketing lakhs of rupees during this illegal trade.

Vijay Yadav, a resident of Baswara said these are criminal groups which are well organised. He said, "When they tried to stop the miners, they threatened them with dire consequences and insisted that they had the right to continue the activity."

Earlier, they used to transport sand in trucks and tractor trolleys but after realising that the forest officials keep a hawk's eye on the vehicles, besides the impounding of vehicles used in the unlawful activity proves a costly affair for mining mafias, they have now switch over to conventional mode for transporting sand, Yadav said further.

Sand serves as the habitat for many big and small aquatic animals in the river. "Digging sand from the river will make the aquatic animals like gharials, turtles and Gangetic dolphins extinct," said Sanjiv Singh, a wildlife enthusiast.

The rampant sand mining in Chambal river particularly in the ongoing nesting season of gharial has on the other hand worried wildlife enthusiasts. "Gharials hatchlings have been sighted at many points of the Chambal river. Many hatchlings are being crushed by the camels involved in mining activities," said another wildlife enthusiast.

National Chambal Sanctuary warden Gurmeet Singh said: "Even we were shocked when we came to know about mining mafias new adopted modus operandi. We have been initiating action and seized several such consignments in the past. We have further instructed the sanctuary personnel and beat in-charges to increase the patrolling in the area and take immediate action in this regard."