The Hindu : Karnataka News : It’s a thriving business in Mysore region

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Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka

It’s a thriving business in Mysore region

Muralidhara Khajane

The district administration’s best efforts to contain the menace has not produced results

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Unchecked: Illegal extraction of sand taking place from the banks of the Cauvery near Srirangapatna in Mysore.

MYSORE: Despite steps being taken by the district administrations of Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajanagar, there has been no respite from illegal extraction of sand in river basins of the Cauvery, Kapila, Hemavathi and Lakshmanateertha.

Sand is being illegally extracted and transported to Kerala, where the court has restricted sand mining.

Though the Mysore district administration formed a task force to contain illegal mining, according to sources in the Department of Mines and Geology, illegal sand extraction still thrives in T. Narsipur, Nanjangud, Hunsur, Piriyapatna and H.D. Kote taluks. Senior geologist Alphonso admitted that, despite best efforts, illegal sand extraction was still on.

“Contractors involved in the activity have become experts in hoodwinking authorities. They have started transporting “purified” sand instead of raw sand in neatly packed bags, and owners of rice mills and paddy merchants are involved in the business,” said a senior official.

In fact, when T. Narsipur Tahsildar Savitha Sreenivasan and her team raided spots where illegal sand extraction was taking place, those involved in the illegal act attacked the team members and Ms. Savitha was threatened of dire consequences.

The situation in Mandya district is no different. The Hemavathi riverbed in the district is being denuded and this has resulted in the erosion of river banks and damage to the ecology. According to officials in the Department of Mines and Geology, sand lifters enjoy political clout and do brisk business while the Government is losing revenue.

Raids

Recently, a team formed by the Mandy district administration raided villages Hiralahalli, Oochanhalli, Murukanahalli, Sindhaghatta and Rayasamudra in Krishnarajpet taluk. Motor boats and dredging machines used for extracting sand were seized.

Illegal sand extraction is also on in Punajanuru, N. Begur and Moolehole areas, and in Hanur and Cauvery forest range, as the area is adjacent to Kerala. Also, the district administrations finds it difficult to contain the menace as there is no limit to issuing permits to trucks which transport sand.

“We can restrict the number of permits for areas that come under our purview. But we do not have any control over the permits being issued in other places,” said Deputy Commissioner P. Manivannan.

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