Environmentalists and villagers have urged the authorities concerned to put an end to sand mining, which is going on in parts of Huliyoordurga Hobli and Hutridurga Hobli areas for the years. They have warned that, if unchecked, it will pose a great danger to the environment.

Some people in Chowdanakuppe, Nidasale, Ujjini and Tavarekere villages in Huliyoorudurga Hobli and Santepete, Hutridurga, Rajagere, Kempanahalli and Yalagawadi villages in Hutridurga Hobli have been transporting sand illegally for years. They have completely forgotten agricultural activities and established sand filtering centres in their farms. They have been transporting sand to Bangalore City, they said.

They have been making use of electricity provided at a concessional rate to farmers to separate soil from sand. A lot of water is being wasted in the process. And the slush created by the sand filtering is also dangerous, they added.

The illegal filter centres in the area are posing great threat to the environment and the ground water level has been depleting, the environmentalists have said.

At least 300 to 400 trucks of sand is being transported from these areas daily. These trucks put a lot of pressure on the state and national highways along the route and damage them considerably.

The villagers and environmentalists have urged the government to take things seriously and stop the illegal activity permanently or they have threatened to start an agitation.