Mangaluru assistant commissioner takes action against illegal sand mining
The Assistant Commissioner of Mangaluru Sub-division has issued an order against individuals involved in facilitating illegal sand extraction and transportation in the region. The accused have been instructed to restore the environmental damage caused during the illegal mining and to appear before the Assistant Commissioner’s court.
The illegal activity was discovered during a raid on March 6, near the Phalguni River in Muluru, Thiruvail, and Kandavara villages of Mangaluru taluk. In response, a conditional order was issued under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to prevent further illegal sand mining.
Harshavardhana SJ, the Assistant Commissioner, issued show-cause notices to Prema Shetty, Annappa Shetty, Manjayya Shetty, Sumathi Shetty from Thiruvail village, and Subbanna Shetty from Muloor village. They have been ordered to appear before his court on April 7.
Complaints had been received from the public regarding the illegal sand extraction near the river without the proper license from the Mines and Geology Department. The sand mining activities, carried out using machines, led to public disturbances and posed a risk to the environment by altering the river course and depleting the groundwater levels.
During an on-site inspection, Mangaluru’s tahsildar and officers found evidence of illegal sand extraction and transportation, causing significant damage to the riverbanks, groundwater, and local ecology. The officials seized 11 boats and uncovered illegal sand docks and roads built on private agricultural land for sand transportation.
The Assistant Commissioner has ordered the accused to halt all sand transportation activities on their properties, including the use of tractors, tippers, and other machinery. A compliance report is required. The government may also confiscate the properties and impose fines ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹15 lakh in accordance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines and the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’.
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