Karnataka to unleash new sand mining policy for coastal region

Karnataka revealed about the call to put forth an individual sand policy which will be for the coastal region of the state, to meet the long-asked demands of the residents.

When inquired in the question hour amid Assembly here, Murugesh Rudrappa Nirani, Mines and Geology Minister responded about a separate sand policy will be launched for assisting the people in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts in the coastal region.

Nirani added, “The construction activities are affected in many parts of the state due to shortage of sand. The government will take necessary steps to prevent such problems in any part of the state.”

The minister iterated the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) authority has been given the order for clearing 13 sand mounds located in the vicinity of river beds based under its jurisdiction in 2020-21.

He further said, “A seven-member District Sand Monitoring Committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner will issue temporary permits to 104 applicants to extract sand from 13 sand mounds for a year.”

He said the department has taken the clearance call based on the guuidelines issued by Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change. “The Mines and Geology department would consider only those having temporary permits to clear the sand mounds of 2011-12 and a couple of years prior to that along the riverbeds in the CRZ,” he said.

The minister revealed the objective of distributing quality sand at market price to the people for boosting construction activities.

During the question hour, various legislators like Venkata Rao Nadagouda of JD(S),

BJP’s Raghpathi’s Bhat and Kumar Bangarappa put forth the issue of the sand shortage and accused the apathy of the officials.

The minister promised about the public availability of sand to meet their public construction activities and the sand auction would be conducted according to the rules.

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