Dakshina Kannada DC also banned sand extraction from rivers in CRZ area

After the Udupi district administration banned the extraction of sand from rivers in Coastal Regulatory Zones (CRZs), Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner KV Rajendra has also complied with the orders of the National Green Tribunal (South Zone).

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Dr. Rajendra said that the District Sand Monitoring Committee had recently started the process of issuing temporary permits for extraction of sand from sand bars in rivers. About 130 temporary permits were issued.

“With the NGT order, the entire process has been put on hold. There will be no sand extraction in the coastal regulatory areas in Dakshina Kannada,” he said. Temporary permit holders have been apprised of the NGT’s decision. He said that they have been asked to remove the boats and other equipment from the respective places.

Udupi Deputy Commissioner M. Kurma Rao on Saturday ordered a complete ban on sand extraction from rivers in the CRZ. In Udupi district, 161 temporary permits have been issued for sand extraction.

Following the NGT’s decision, Mr. Rao asked the Department of Mines and Geology to withhold permits through the Integrated Lease Management System.

The NGT Bench in Chennai, comprising judicial member K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Satyagopal Koralapati, said on May 18 that permission was being given by the government to extract sand by collecting a nominal royalty.

Allowing sand to be sold would be tantamount to “sand mining”, a prohibited activity in the CRZ. Sand bars can only be removed by the local community using the traditional method to facilitate safe navigation of fishing vessels.

The extracted sand can be used to nourish beaches, river banks or river banks. The bench said it was stopping the extraction of sand as it was being done on a large scale commercial scale along the Karnataka coast.