As part of the control room proposed for continuous monitoring of sand movement from Dakshina Kannada by the district administration, the city police have given the list of 180 places where CCTV cameras have to be installed.
“We have given the list of places, along with a map, where the CCTV cameras need to be installed. The district administration will shortly set up the control room to monitor sand movement. These arrangements are being made using the district mineral fund,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Hariram Shankar told reporters on Sunday. The control room is likely to become operational in a month, he added.
On Saturday morning, Mr. Shankar accompanied by Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar and a few other policemen in civilian dress arrested three persons on the charge of illegally transporting sand in a lorry from Mangaluru to Kerala via Talapady checkpost. Some personnel at the checkpost were booked for allegedly conspiring with the accused in illegal transportation of sand. A separate case was registered against six persons, who had come to escort the lorry, for use of force against police while running away from the place.
On Sunday, the Ullal police seized three lorries and 12 loads of sand from Kotekar Beeri and Ajjinadka. This sand had been stocked to transport it to Kerala, Mr. Shankar said.
The official said the sand seized on Sunday is among several deposits of sand found in places near the Talapady checkpost. When the police posted at the checkpost leave in the early hours daily, some lorries illegally transport the sand to Kerala side.
The police, he said, have found instances of misuse of permit issued for transportation of sand from Mangaluru to Sullia. “As the permit does not mention the route to be taken by the vehicle carrying the sand, this is being used for illegal sand transport to Kerala,” he said and added that recommendation has been made to the district administration to prescribe the route in the transport permit.
The officer said district administration has also been asked to cancel permits where the permit holders are found allegedly involved in illegal transportation of sand, he said.
