Sand extraction matters peak in Udupi ZP meet

Sand extraction matters peak in Udupi ZP meet

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Nov 04, 2015: The critical matter illegal sand extraction in parts of the district dominated the general body meeting of Udupi Zilla Panchayat here on Nov 3. Raising the issue, Babu Shetty, member, said that illegal sand extraction was going in Nada gram panchayat in Kundapur taluk. But when a complaint on this was lodged with the Department of Mines and Geology, its response was that it had only three persons.

Mahesh, Geologist at the Department of Mines and Geology, said that in the case of Nada, the problem of sand extraction rose where the sand bar was in one place, while the sand cluster was at another place. Since the trucks carrying sand had Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking units in them, their movement could be easily tracked and hence the question of illegal ferrying did not arise.

Gayatri Nayak, Kundapur tahsildar, said that dumping of sand extracted was being allowed on government lands where the extractors had no land to dump it. Warnings had been issued wherever violations were noticed.

There were public complaints regarding sand extraction at Kodi and it had been stopped there, said  Nayak. All sand extractors had permits to extract till January. The sand extractors had been told to provide 50 per cent of sand extracted for Udupi district and the rest to other districts, she said.

Babu Shetty said that gram panchayats should be given powers to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for sand extractors. Ananth Movady, member, said that though sand extractors had agreed to provide 50 per cent of sand for Udupi district, they were selling it at Rs. 6,000 per truckload, while the price last year was Rs. 1,800 a load.