Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (MS)

Bantwal, Dec 5: Sand is being extracted from Uliyathadka rivulet of Salethur village of the taluk. Locals have expressed serious concern.

The vented dam and connecting bridge for locals was built across Uliyathadka rivulet in 1968. This dam provided water to the agriculturists of this area and was the main resource of water to locals. This minor bridge is life line of local people as they use it to carry their groceries. It is said that due to extraction of sand the life of locals is put into inconvenience.

Locals say that sand extraction is done through JCB at a distance of just 100 meters from the dam. Around 50 truckloads of sand is being transported to Kerala every day. Complaint to officials has not yielded any result.

The locals say that officials are involved with the sand extractors as the trucks and JCB are not on the spot when the officials conduct raid. The extraction has begun two months ago. Agriculturists on the bank of the rivulet are concerned that huge disaster is going to happen if this is not stopped. There is a possibility that the vented dam might get washed away as the sand is removed from quite close to the dam.

As the officials are not responding to the complaints, the locals have warned of fierce protest in coming days.