Crackdown on illegal sand mining in Coastal Karnataka: Over 270 cases booked, fines reach almost ₹1 Crore

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, March 15, 2025: Over 270 cases have been registered and fines of almost Rs 1 crore have been collected, along with seized vehicles and equipment in Coastal Karnataka districts over illegal sand mining from April 2024 till January.

Of them Dakshin Kannada saw 173 cases during that period. A total of 107 trucks, 91 boats, 6 motor machines, one dredging machine and 13 gas cylinders used for mining have been seized and 82 of these cases have been registered in court. he district yielded a fine of Rs 54.04 lakh from the crackdown.

Similarly, in Udupi, 103 cases of illegal sand extraction have been detected during the period. A total of 90 vehicles and six boats have been seized. The officials have collected a fine of Rs 19.59 lakh.

Replying to a question raised by MLC Ivan D’Souza at the Legislative Council, the state Mines and Geology Minister, S S Mallikarjun said that 108 cases of illegal sand extraction in CRZ areas had been booked in 2023-24 and a fine of Rs 42.90 lakh was collected.

Similarly, in 2024-25, 59 illegal sand extractions on CRZ areas have been booked and a fine of Rs 14.72 lakh has been collected.

In the non-CRZZ areas, 18 sand leases have been approved through tender-cum-auction in the IV, V, and higher-grade village/river basins, along with five sand leases for government projects.

Four blocks have been identified for PWD and one block for minor irrigation. The PWD has taken up sand extraction in two blocks and sand is being supplied from one block to its various projects. The extraction is yet to commence from two more blocks, said the Minister.

The Minister further said that there are 16 M sand units in the district which are also supplying sand to the construction works and that there is no shortage of the material

Eleven areas outside the CRZ where illegal sand mining takes place have been identified, and tenders have already been called for the sand auction of six blocks among them.

The District Sand Committee has approved floating of tenders and auctioning the remaining five sand blocks, the Minister, while answering a question on what actions have been taken to legalise the illegal sand extraction. The Minister clarified that rules do not permit legalising the illegal sand mining.