Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network-Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Sep 22: Hundreds of people of different organizations participated in a protest against sand crisis in coastal region and demanded new sand policy on Thursday, September 22.
A padayatra was held by the members of all district-level union coordinating committee, starting from Jodukatte which passed through court road, Diana circle, CMC office, service bus stand, city bus stand and culminated at Royal garden near Kalsanka.
Thereafter a vehicle rally was organized to reach deputy commissioner's (DC) office Rajatadri, Manipal in order to submit a memorandum.
Kutyaru Prasad, convener for lorry owners and drivers' union addressing the protestors said, “There is an economic decline in the nation. District authority should come to a decision within a week regarding sand crisis. Otherwise people of the committee will stop all the lorries which are transporting sand to other districts. The authorities should not allow any clash in streets. Our fight is not for gaining profit but to win our daily bread. Sand is being sold in black market.”
After receiving the memorandum from the leaders, DC T Venkatesh said, “A government appointed lawyer is handling sand crisis issue. We are just following court verdict. State government has called state level meeting to form new policy on September 25 in Bengaluru. I will make the authorities realize about the present problems of sand crisis in coastal region and will give suggestions on behalf of coastal region.”
According to the memorandum, the district authority should change the tender process made on non-CRZ sand mining and should allow them to do traditional sand mining.
“The concerned authority should take immediate measures to clear stay order on CRZ sand mining. Specific criteria should be made on exported sand to other districts and sand mining. A uniform price has to be fixed per unit sand for three districts namely Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada. The authority should not allow other district people to take sand directly from the deck. The authority should release the date of meeting, where they will discuss on forming new sand policy,” stated the memorandum.
As many as 28 leaders from different organizations and public participated in the rally. They also demanded a separate committee to be set for forming a new sand policy for coastal region.
Jerry Vincent Dias, president Builder’s Association, Manohar Shetty of Sairadha Builders, M G Nagendra secretary, Building Construction, tools, Lorry owners and drivers, Ravi Shetty, district president, Karnataka Karmika Vedike's district unit, Mattaru Rathnakar Hegde, district president BJP, Udupi Vijaykumar Hegde of Udupi Raitha sangha, U Sudesh Shet Bannanje, secretary, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Ashrayadata Ramesh Shetty, district president of auto union, Ranjan Kalkur, proprietor of Kalkur builders, Ansar Ahmed, Chandrika Shetty, and others were present in the protest meet.