Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Oct 23: On getting information that illegal sand mining was being undertaken from Papanashini rivulet at Shirva by using boat and excavator, Shirva gram panchayat president K R Patkar, panchayat development officer Ananthapadmanabha Nayak and staff visited the spot.

The raid was conducted on the basis of information received by the panchayat administration from the villagers about the illegal sand extraction. Sand mining was being undertaken in a plot near the farm belonging to Koshy from Kerala. Land owner, Koshy, fled from the scene, and the gram panchayat has informed the police.

The spot where the illegal sand mining was detected happens to be the same area where Kaup tahsildar Pratibha, accompanied by mines department officials and Shirva police had raided and seized three lorries and an excavator.

Kundapur

On Friday, mines and geology department officials raided two illegal sand extraction units and took into possession two tipper t rucks while four others were driven away by the miscreants during the raid. The sand extraction was going on from Sowparnika river bank near Bantwadi. The two tippers which were taken into possession were handed over to Gangolli police for further action. Two boats used for sand extraction were also seized.

During the raid on a sand extraction unit operated by Ramdas Shetty at Gudibettu near Amparu village, four tipper trucks used for sand transportation were seized. The vehicles were handed over to Shankaranarayana police station. Two boats used for the purpose were also seized. Mines and geology department Byndoor division officer Sandhya Kumari, led the raid on the sand extraction unit at Bantwadi.