Karnataka - Bangalore   

Steps to curb illegal sale and transportation of sand

Bangalore: Law and Home Minister M.P. Prakash told the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that measures had been initiated to curb illegal quarrying, transportation and sale of sand and other minor minerals.

Reading out the reply on behalf of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to Jayaprakash Hegde (independent member), the Minister said that the Deputy Commissioiners in the districts had been directed to launch criminal prosecution against those indulging in unauthorised quarrying in the river beds and confiscate the equipment.

Mr. Prakash said that it had been decided to establish mobile squads, weigh bridges and inspection centres on the highways and other important roads, and the road transport officers had been ordered to act against such vehicles. The officials of the Forest and Mines and Geology had been posted at over 20 checkposts for the purpose.

The Minister said that sand quarrying would be arranged through tendering. District level committees headed by the Deputy Commissioners had been constituted to monitor the effectiveness of the operations. Quarrying up to a depth of only one metre in the river beds had been allowed to protect the ground water sources. No machine, which affected the environment should not be used and it had come into effect in the Cauvery course in Mysore, Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts and in Tungabhadra course in Dharwad district.

He said that 16 cases had been registered last year against those, who were polluting atmosphere by utilising equipment for quarrying sand at T. Narasipura and Hunasur in Mysore district.

The Mines and Geology Department had collected Rs. 1.01 crore including royalty from 2,501 lorry owners for unauthorised transportation of sand and seized 5,750 tonnes of sand, out of which 2,350 tonnes was sold realising an amount of Rs.1.21 lakh.

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