Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner K. V. Rajendra said that the Karnataka State Mineral Corporation Ltd (KSMCL) had 21,000 tonnes of sand at its two stocking yards as on May 25. People can purchase the sand from the yards at the rate fixed by the government.
Speaking to mediapersons on May 25, the Deputy Commissioner said that the yard at Adyapady had 9,000 tonnes and the yard at Shambur had 12,000 tonnes of sand in stock.
Dr. Rajendra said that banning the extraction of sand in the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) in the Phalguni and the Netravati rivers pursuant to the order of the National Green Tribunal (South zone) will not create a scarcity of for the people in general, contractors and other agencies for construction work.
“We have enough sand in stock. Further demands will be met as the stocks are cleared,” he said.
As per Karnataka Minor Minerals Concession (Amendment) Rules, 2021 and New Sand Policy of 2020, the Karnataka State Mineral Corporation Ltd (KSMCL) had been allowed dredging (with sand) rights in the backwaters of Adyapady vented dam on the Phalguni and in the backwaters of Shambhur vented dam on the Netravati.
The KSMCL is selling the sand with mineral dispatch permit at ₹700+GST per tonne. People have to place their order by logging on to the website or through Maralu Mitra app. The helpline is 080-28055000, the Deputy Commissioner said adding that the district administration has not allowed sale and transportation of sand from yards outside Dakshina Kannada.
Meanwhile, referring to sand extraction in CRZ areas in rivers, the NGT bench in Chennai, comprising judicial member K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, on May 18 said sand is being allowed to be extracted by the government after collecting nominal royalty.
Allowing sand to be sold would tantamount to ‘sand mining’, which is a prohibited activity in CRZ. Sand bars could be removed only by the local community using traditional methods but only to facilitate safe navigation of fishing vessels.
The extracted sand can be used to nourish beaches, river beds, or river banks. It (the NGT) was stopping sand extraction as it was being done on a large commercial scale along the Karnataka coast, according to the bench.
Following the NGT order, Deputy Commissioners in Karnataka’s coastal belt have banned extraction of sand in CRZ areas of rivers.
