Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 3: Holiday has been announced for sand extraction from both the CRZ and non-CRZ zones. At the same time, desilting of sand accumulated near the dams has not progressed as the court has stayed the process.

As per the new sand polity, Karnataka State Minerals Corporation had called for tenders and finalised the contractors for the extraction of sand from Adyapady and Shambhoor dams. But Poovappa Poojary and others who approached the high court within a few days, secured stay order against extraction of sand from Adyapady and Shambhoor dams. They argued that sand extraction contract can be given to only the traditional sand extractors and not to others. They also convinced the court that the government was not in order in entrusting the sand extraction work to the corporation before the new sand policy was fully adopted.

Sand extraction plans had been drawn in the case two dams mentioned above and also Sauparnika and Chakra dams in Udupi district. As the rivers in Dakshina Kannada flow in from the Western Ghats, silt and sand get accumulated here. If the accumulated sand is not extracted the availability of water in the dams will be less and the dams also face danger. Because of these reasons, the government had planned to remove sand.

Proposals had been sent to the government to extract sand from Adyapady dam, Shambhoor dam and Thumbe dam. Mangaluru City Corporation was entrusted with the work of extracting sand. However, because the rain this time was good, the sand dredging plan has been dropped. Minerals Corporation has since taken over four dams in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. It estimates all the four dams to have one lac metric tonne of sand each.

Because of heavy rains during the last some days, water levels in all the dams have reached the brim. Therefore, undertaking dredging operation at this stage is not feasible. Before the rainy season ends, the mines and geology department has to provide explanations to the court. The amendments brought to Karnataka Minor Mineral Rules have to be finalised, confirmed and order to that effect has to be issued. Till then sand mining is not possible. In the court, the proceedings are delayed because of Covid19, says deputy director of mines and geology, Niranjan.