The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Illegal mining equipment razed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Illegal mining equipment razed

Staff Reporter

Eight lorries carrying sand from filtering units seized
Three more generators have also been seized

BANGALORE: Continuing the crack down against the illegal sand filtering mines in Bangalore Rural District, the officials on Monday dismantled two huge units in Devanahalli taluk besides seizing eight lorries carrying sand from filtering units. Three more generators have also been seized.

JCB machines were pressed to dismantle the mining units that had been sealed during the raids on Saturday, and officials managed recover seven lorry loads of mangled steel after the units were dismantled. According to officials, the two units located in Muddanayakanahalli and Tailkere villages had been razed to ground and all steel structures had been removed.

Connection

It is learnt that the two illegal units had legal power connection, which has now been disconnected. While four lorries loaded with steel recovered from the units have been parked in Devanahalli police station, three lorries have been parked in Vijayapura police station.

Assistant Commissioner of Doddaballapura Sub-division M.B. Rajesh Gowda told The Hindu that these two units were a major source of filtered sand from the area, and were involved in producing huge volume of sand daily. “These mechanically operated mines were equipped with machineries that included JCB machines and conveyor belts to transport mud that would be filtered into sand,” he added.

Mr. Gowda hoped that the closure of these mines would substantially bring down the illegal sand filtering business. Nearly 200 officials drawn from different departments, who comprised the task force set up to curb the illegal sand mining, monitored the dismantling of the units.

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