Ban on Sand Mining, DKBMSU Gherao Mines and Geology office
Mangaluru: The owners and drivers of Dakshina Kannada Building Material and Supply Union(DKBMSU) gheored the office of the Deputy director of Mines and Geology, Hampankatta here on September 20.
The president of DKBMSU Randeep Kanchan along with the honorary president of DKBMSU Kishore Kumar Puttur and other members met the Senior Geology officer of Mines and geology Nagendrappa and requested to permit carrying out sand extraction.
Speaking to the mediapersons, honorary president of DKBMSU Kishore Kumar said, “When we met the DC, he assured us to provide the permission from August 15, but the Department of Mines and Geology is not giving us the permit to carry out sand extraction. From the past four months, sand extraction has totally stopped and people are facing severe problems”.
He further said that we have accepted and agreed to follow the rules and regulations during sand extraction and signed all the papers with the 20 points kept before us. We are ready to follow all the rules and regulations during sand extraction but the Mines and Geology department is not giving us the permit. At present one load of sand costs a minimum of Rs 12,000 to 14,000 and people cannot afford it. Rich and powerful people still extract sand and transport it to Bengaluru and Madikeri. If we are unable to get the permit to extract sand, how is the sand still extracted in Boloor, Ullal, Gurupur and Addur. Why are there no restrictions to those extracting sand in those places? he questioned.
The members of DKBMSU, warned officer Nagendrappa of the Mines and Geology department to provide the permit to start sand extraction within two days. If the permit will not be issued, members of DKBMSU will intensify their protest in the coming days.
After receiving the memorandum Nagendrappa assured of providing the permit for sand extraction in two days.