The traditional sand extractors on Wednesday accused Dakshina Kannada district administration, Mines and Geology Department of denying them the right to extract sand from the coastal regulatory zone areas in river.
Talking to reporters, Traditional sand extractors Narayana Punchame and Sunil said that the district administration and the Mines and Geology Department have barred sand mining in Coastal Regulatory Zone areas of Dakshina Kannada by citing the recent order of the National Green Tribunal barring sand mining in CRZ areas alongside rivers.
Mr. Panchame and Mr. Sunil said that permission for traditional sand extractors to extract sand ended in September 2021. The district administration took eight months to renew the permission. After dragging the feet to grant permit for transportation of extracted sand, the district administration, Mines and Geology Department have banned sand extraction in CRZ areas citing NGT order.
This step of district administration has caused severe hardship to several families, who are solely reliant on traditional sand extraction. “We are planning to submit a representation to the Chief Secretary,” Mr. Panchame and Mr. Sunil said.
In its order on May 19, the NGT’s Southern Bench in Chennai said that the sand removed from sand bars of rivers in the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) should not be sold. At the most, it can be used for levelling low-lying areas of the river bed, sand nourishment in beaches and strengthening of river bunds. It also said the State Government should stop the practice of collecting nominal amount from permit holders and allowing them to sell sand outside as it tantamounts to that amounts to mining of sand, which is prohibited under the CRZ notification.
Increase in price of sand
In another press conference on June 8, Dakshina Kannada CRZ Sand Permit Holders Forum’s Honorary advisor Mayur Ullal said banning of sand mining in the CRZ area alongside rivers has led to drastic increase in the price of sand.
Mr. Ullal said that the price of a truck load of sand is now at ₹12,000. Before the ban on the sand extraction, the price of a truck load was at ₹7,500.
Mr. Ullal claimed the NGT’s order applied only to Udupi district and not to Dakshina Kannada. They are prevailing upon the State Government to file an appeal against the NGT’s judgement. The members of forum will discuss the issue with their counterparts in Udupi and consider approaching the Supreme Court on the issue, he said.
