No let-up in sand lifting in B’lore

No let-up in sand lifting in B’lore
Deccan Herald

Illegal sand lifting activity, which was confined to the City’s outskirts, has now entered the City areas. Even lakebeds are not being spared. The rampant activity is getting a further boost from the booming construction industry in the City.

Illegal sand lifting activity, which was confined to the City’s outskirts, has now entered the City areas. Even lakebeds are not being spared. The rampant activity is getting a further boost from the booming construction industry in the City.

A visit to Hadosiddapura and Chikkanayakanahalli lakes in Varthur hobli, which are virtually dry this season due to truant rains, present a shocking picture. The lakebeds, spread over 9.21 acres and 22.13 acres respectively, are now full of craters, thanks to the beeline of trucks relentlessly lifting sand from these lakebeds. Residents of Chikkanayakanahalli, mute witnesses to this plunder, worry that come rains, their houses would be inundated due to the reckless sand lifting.

GP President’s role?


What is surprising is that many private brick kilns are located right on the dry lakebed of Chikkanayakanahalli. The owner of one such kiln is Rukminamma, the Gram Panchayat President, claim the villagers. They allege that she had built her house using bricks made from mud from the lake.

When contacted, Rukminamma’s husband, A N Reddy, was on the defensive: “When everybody is excavating sand from the lake, we are no different. We did not know that we were wrong. However, we have been transporting earth from elsewhere too,” he said, adding that the kiln belonged to his brother.

When Deccan Herald tried speaking to a few men supervising the sand excavation from Hadosiddapura lakebed, they sped away on their bikes saying that they did not know where the sand was being transported.

“We have received complaints from the surrounding villagers that such activities have been taking place for sometime now, but we have not been able to catch anybody red-handed,” said Rajendra, Revenue Secretary, Doddakanahalli Gram Panchayat. He added that he had visited the lake area two months ago.

As the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and Lake Development Authority (LDA) pass the buck with regard to monitoring of lakes, Bangalore Urban Deputy Commissioner M A Sadiq said that he would look into the matter immediately. “Sand mining is an illegal activity and anybody caught red-handed can be imprisoned,” he said.

PLUNDER

Affected lakes: Hadosiddapura (Survey 23) and Chikkanayakanahalli (Survey 12)

Location: Varthur hobli, Sarjapur Road

Gram Panchayat: Doddakanahalli

Village: Chikkanayakanahalli

Activity: Unauthorised sand mining - illegal under Mines & Minerals Act