Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi
Udupi, May 21: The prolonged struggle, dharnas, and protests staged by villagers in front of the deputy commissioner's office against unscientific and illegal sand mining in the Sita river at Nagaramata in Hosala village near Barkur, Brahmavar taluk, have finally yielded results. The Karnataka Lokayukta has initiated a comprehensive investigation and action regarding the matter.
A high-level investigation team, comprising multi-departmental experts appointed by the Lokayukta to ascertain the extent of environmental damage, financial loss to the government, and the negligence of officials caused by illegal and unscientific sand mining, visited the affected Nagaramata environment on Thursday for a thorough inspection.
The investigation team included the head of the department of earth sciences and an environmental engineer from NITK Surathkal, along with officials from the forest department, minor irrigation department, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), and Lokayukta police. The team of around 15 members visited all the locations mentioned in the complaint filed by the villagers.
Following protests and complaints by affected residents, women, and children from villages around Nagaramata against illegal sand mining, the Udupi Lokayukta police conducted a spot inspection as per the Lokayukta's order. Based on their report, a preliminary hearing was held in Bengaluru last week on May 14, where it was decided to send a high-level investigation team for a comprehensive report.
The team appointed included the head of the environment department and the head of the earth sciences department from NITK Surathkal, the deputy conservator of forests from Kundapur, the senior environmental officer of KSPCB Udupi, the executive engineer of the minor irrigation department Udupi, the assistant director of land records Udupi, and the deputy superintendent of police, Karnataka Lokayukta Udupi.
The team arrived at Nagaramata at 10 am on Thursday and took only two villagers along to show them the locations. The team inspected the riverbank area where sand mining took place, the island area, the sand storage site, the dumping yard, the vented dam area, and the quality of the dam. They also collected water samples from the river and a well built for the Jal Jeevan Mission, which had allegedly turned saline due to unscientific sand mining, for testing.
Furthermore, the team identified that sand mining had been carried out at depths of 15 to 20 feet, exceeding the prescribed limits, and gathered information regarding this. The team toured the surrounding areas until 2 pm, collecting data.
The expert committee has been directed to submit its report to the Lokayukta by June 16. The committee must examine every aspect of the violations alleged in the complaint and submit a compliance report. They have been instructed to submit a joint report concerning general observations as much as possible. However, each expert can provide a separate report concerning specific findings based on their expertise, provided such reports reach the Lokayukta by June 16. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 20.
Udupi Lokayukta DySP Halamurthy Rao, Lokayukta circle inspector Manjunath, ADLR Tipperaya Toravi, minor irrigation department's Rajuddin, forest department's Sridhar, KSPCB's Keerthikumar, and subject experts from NITK Surathkal were part of the visiting team.