Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Nov 24: Hearing into the stay granted against conducting sand mining in Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) in the district has been adjourned to December 7. Arguments in the case were presented at National Green Tribunal's Chennai bench on Wednesday November 23.

After government departments failed to respond to various problems faced by villagers of Baikady and Haradi in the taluk, villagers led by Uday Suvarna from Baikady had filed public interest litigation in the green bench. The bench had stayed sand mining in the district since May 17 this year.

The Chennai bench of National Green Tribunal has stayed sand extraction based on petition filed by a few people. To get the stay vacated, Devaraj Ashok appointed to represent Karnataka government presented prolonged arguments extending to two hours before the bench on Wednesday. The  judge adjourned hearing to December 7, citing that the court's time was over.  

In this respect, a report prepared by retired professor of national Institute of Technology Karnataka Suratkal, Prof S J Mayya and Venkata Reddy on sand mining was handed over to the green bench. 

President of district sand boats workers association, Lokesh Mendon, advocate for the association, Shivaraj Hegde Kundapur, and petitioner Uday Suvarna's representative, advocate Ranjan Shetty, were present during the hearing.