Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Apr 25: The villagers of Trasi, Movadi and Hosadu villages staged protests on Monday, April 25 urging to stop mechanized dredging work that was resumed in Sauparnika river in Trasi grama.

The local people waylaid the sand laden lorry urging to stop the works that were suspended for the last one month. The protesters threatened to continue protests till the local MLA comes to the spot and promises to suspend the dredging work.

The situation was grim when there was a heated exchange of words between the contractors and the local people and physical fights were likely. Gangolli station police who arrived at the spot brought the situation under control.

Byndoor MLA B M Sukumar Shetty who arrived at the spot said that he had not consented for the dredging works. He asked the department officials concerned and contractors to temporarily stop the works.

The Karnataka State Minerals Corporation Limited Company was conducting the mechanized dredging in the Sauparnika river at Trasi and Hosadu. The local villagers from Trasi, Movadi and Nada who had opposed and protested against it on March 21 had urged to allow traditional sand mining instead. Kundapur sub division officer K Raju who arrived at the spot then had asked to suspend dredging for some time. Therefore, the dredging was stopped for the past one month.

Officer from the department of geology, BJP Mandala former president Pranay Kumar Shetty, taluk panchayat former vice president Pravin Kumar Shetty, Nada gram panchayat president Dinesh Shetty, taluk panchayat member Umesh Shetty Kalgadde, Sridhar Badakere, Raghavendra Achary, Gurukiran Shetty, Vishwanath Shetty, Manjunath Shetty and local people were present. Gangolli police station sub inspector stationed himself at the spot and diluted the situation.