Sand mining temporary ban from June 5

Udupi: In view of wild fish breeding during the crucial rainy season, a ban has been announced for sand extraction from rivers. Sand extraction will be banned from June 5 to October 15 in the non-CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) whereas in CRZ zones the extraction will be stopped in the months of June and July.

To facilitate the clearance of sand dunes obstructing boat movement, a request has to be sent to the Fisheries Department and then to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). Thereafter, once the sand mounds are identified, a seven-member committee led by the District Collector will submit a proposal to the Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZM). Following approval from the KCZM, the seven-member committee headed by the District Collector will issue the necessary permissions for sand dune clearance to commence.

During the 2022-23 period, approximately 1.92 lakh metric tonnes of sand from 19 dunes were cleared under 122 licenses.