Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi

Udupi, Aug 13: Despite a ban on sand mining, illegal activities continue unabated in Udupi district, with police seizing several vehicles this week.

On August 11, Brahmavar police intercepted a tipper transporting about 1.5 units of sand from Yadtadi to Heradi without valid documents or permits. The sand, worth around Rs 8,000, had been illegally extracted from a river without payment of royalty to the government.

In another incident near ISF Factory at Kukkude, a tipper carrying about 0.75 units of sand sped away when signalled to stop. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. The sand, transported without any paperwork, was seized and both cases were registered at Brahmavar police station.

On August 5, acting on a tip-off, police raided Panchagangavali stream in Kasaba village and found 80 plastic bags of sand, worth Rs 4,000, being loaded into two vehicles. Kundapur police registered a case and arrested two accused.

In Kulanje village’s Bakude area, on the night of August 9, three tippers were found loaded with nine units of sand, worth Rs 45,000, illegally mined from Shedimane stream. The vehicles, worth Rs 18 lac, were seized. Shankaranarayana police registered a case, and one accused, Charan Hegde, was arrested on August 11 at Tarekatte in Belve village.

According to SP Hariram Shankar, most illegal sand mining occurs at night, with perpetrators even using small vehicles and fish transport trucks to avoid police detection. Many use old trucks without documents, assuming seizure will not result in serious consequences.

Police have stepped up their operations, registering three cases in a week, arresting multiple accused, and seizing both the sand and the vehicles used for transport.