If all goes according to the plan of the Dakshina Kannada district administration, one will not see large iron boats engaged in sand extraction along rivers coming under the Coastal Regulatory Zone when the extraction season resumes from August 16, after the monsoon ban. There also won’t be any earthmoving equipment engaged in unloading sand from these vessels on river banks.
Having issued permits to over 400 people to extract 7.8 lakh tonnes of sand between April 2015 and April 2016 because of pressure from different quarters, and having seen unbridled sand extraction and transportation in the past years, the district administration has resolved to revert to traditional means of sand extraction.
This move, according to Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim, could halt uncontrolled sand excavation, thereby reducing environment destruction. Mr. Ibrahim said that initially, there were just 13 permits given to traditional extractors. This number rose to 163 in 2013-14 and crossed 400 in 2016-17. Though more people have benefitted from the enhancement, the large-scale excavation has definitely worried the administration, he said.
The district-level sand monitoring committee will introduce changes in the permit conditions and a meeting will soon be held under District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai to chart out the plan, Mr. Ibrahim told The Hindu .
Use of large iron boats, which resemble barges, and machinery to load and unload sand will be banned from August 16. Only traditional boats will have to be deployed for extraction, while the loading and unloading will have to be done manually, he said.
Asked whether the deployment of labourers too would be banned, Mr. Ibrahim said it may not be. However, the permit-holder would have to offer all statutory facilities to workers if he or she engages them, besides providing them proper accommodation with good hygiene, he said.
RECOVERY BLUEPRINT
New permit conditions for sand extraction in CRZ area from August 16
Only traditional boats (Paathi Doni) to be deployed for sand extraction
Manual loading and unloading of sand
No deployment of large iron vessels for extraction
No use of earthmovers and other machinery
If workers are engaged, they would be covered under applicable labour laws. They would also have to be provided proper accommodation
