Even as the truckers’ strike in Mysuru district demanding issue of permits to transport sand legally entered the second day on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner C. Shikha said any decision to resolve the matter did not come within the purview of the district administration, but should be taken by the State government.
With extraction of sand from the riverbed becoming illegal in the wake of a Supreme Court direction, permits for the transportation of sand cannot be given.
However, Ms. Shikha told The Hindu that the district administration had identified one or two spots along the banks of the river from where sand could be extracted legally. “But, the spots are located in the forest area and require permission from the Forest Department,” she said.
However, officials pointed out that the availability of sand at the two spots was limited. “It can at best be a temporary measure as the sand will get exhausted in two or three years.” After the leases of mining blocks along Cauvery river and its tributaries expired about four months ago, the district administration had sent a fresh list of 92 mining blocks for approval from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, but was yet to receive a response.
Meanwhile, president of Mysore District Lorry Owners’s Association Kodandaramu urged the State Government to file a review petition before the Supreme Court in view of the crisis. “Not only are the sand lorry owners, drivers and loaders suffering, even the construction industry has been hit hard by the non-availability of legally extracted sand,” he said.
Even though the construction industry does not appear to have been immediately hit as most contractors and builders had stocked enough supplies to last for a few days, Ravindra Bhat, member of Builders’ Association India (BAI), Mysuru chapter, said the builders are looking at alternatives to river sand like the blast furnace slag from the steel industry.
“A team of builders from Mysuru last week visited Kozhikode in Kerala, where they have successfully shifted from river bed sand. The slag from the steel industry is a viable alternative that builders in Mysuru are considering,” Mr. Bhat said.
