DC bans sand extraction around Pavoor island

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 02, 2014:  The district administration in its order on November 28 has clamped Section 133 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.     D  K  district administration has banned sand extraction and movement of sand mining boats in 1-km radius of in and around Pavoor Uliyakudru island on Nethravati river.

Anyone found violating the rules is liable to be arrested. The authorities have also banned the setting up of docks to store sand to be loaded in trucks in the area surrounding this island. The areas are Valachil wharf, dock behind Sahyadri Engineering college in Adyar village, Pavoor wharf on the left hand side of the river and island.

The order was issued after DK DC A BIbrahim visited the spot following complaints on rampant sand mining that was increasing erosion and affecting fishing in and around the island. The ban order will provide a relief to 58 families who are residing in the island. Owing to the illegal sand mining, the 58 families residing in the island are in distress.

The press release from district administration said that the island and its surroundings come under Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) – I category, and that permission was not accorded to extract sand in the area by the district level committee. With the continous extraction of sand using machineries, the environment and flora and fauna is facing danger.

The surrounding of the island is also facing threat of erosion owing to rampant sand mining. Apart from destruction of the island due to sand extraction, the order also said that daily-wage workers from outside the state who were involved in extraction of sand had put up tents illegally on the banks of river and are engaged in “stealing and other illegal actions” .