The mining of sand has reduced riverbank height resulting in widespread flooding of nearby houses during recent heavy rain.

 “They have done this activity for a long time but why (they have done) we don’t know,’’ Branco said in Parliament on Monday.

He said no company had a license to mine soil from the river, saying the practice was damaging the fragile environment.

Anastácia da Costa Amaral, National Parliamentarian, called on the government to act, saying a number of private citizens were also mining sand from the river.