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Traditional miners accuse Udupi district administration of recklessness

Udupi, August 7, 2016: Karnataka Coastal District Traditional Sand Miners’ Association, Udupi district unit, accused the district administration of being responsible for the stay order imposed on the sand mining activities in the district.

Speaking to reporters, Dinesh Suvarna, Karnataka Coastal District Traditional Sand Miners’ Association, Udupi district general secretary, said that unscientific allocations of the licences for the sand blocks and the district administration’s lackadaisical approach have resulted in the issue being blown out of the proportion. The district administration is coming out with new rules everyday and has made the entire issue more complicated, he added.

Uday Suvarna, who approached the Green Tribunal in Chennai has complained that the allocations of the permits in the area of Baikadi river in Haradi Gram Panchayat area is unscientific, as there are too many permit holders. The roads are spoiled with the movement of sand laden trucks.

He also complained that the former deputy commissioner has totally misguided the sand miners. “The illegal transport of sand has also added to the woes. The Karnataka Coastal District Traditional Sand Miners’ Association, Udupi district, should also be made a party in the Court. The district administration is not taking any initiative to vacate the stay order,” he added.

‘Jobless’

Holding the district administration accountable for the pathetic condition of the sand miners, Suvarna said, “People who purchased boats for sand mining are at loss, as there is no business. The labourers are on streets,” he complained and demanded, “The sand mining blocks at non-CRZ areas should not be auctioned, but should be allotted to sand miners who have been carrying out sand mining for several years.”

Suvarna said that there is an urgent need for the single-window policy for the three coastal districts for sand mining all across the coastal belt. “The sand mafia should not be entertained. Instead, opportunity to market the sand excavated should be made available,” he insisted.

Suvarna said that the sand mining policy has many loopholes and the worst affected district is Udupi, owing to the reckless attitude of the district administration and the former deputy commissioner. “The district administration has failed to consider the issue seriously and is not arguing the matter in court. There is an eleven-member committee, which is looking into the affairs related to sand mining activities. There is, however, no significant work carried out by the committee to uphold the legal activities in the district in connection with sand mining. The next hearing at the Green Tribunal is on August 16. The hearing would be for the stay order and the arguments,” he added.