He even says it is beyond his power to keep a check on illegal mining. Illegal sand mining is highly prevalent between Mulwad and Junjarwad villages situation along the river.
Ban in Maharashtra
A ban on sand mining, effective action taken by the Maharashtra government and lenient laws in Karnataka have encouraged the illegal activity. A load of sand that costs Rs 1,000 here is being sold for over Rs 5,000 in the towns of Maharashtra.
Hundreds of vehicles from the neighbouring state carry illegally mined sand, thanks to ‘blind’ officials. According to Kotappagol, illegal mining takes place in many villages, including Hulagbal, Dodwad, Teerth, Satti, Savadi and Janwad. Action will be taken on the lines of Jamkhandi taluk administration’s efforts to prevent illegal sand mining, he said.
Other departments too must co-operate in checking unauthorised sand mining, he said.
Earlier this month Belgaum Deputy Commissioner Ekroop Kaur had ordered the sand contractors of the district to stop mining activities with immediate effect. The move follows the expiry of their lease contracts.
She called upon the public to purchase sand directly from the Public Works Department. The government, through the Karnataka State Sand Policy-2011 implemented since April 1, has empowered the department to deal with issues related to sand mining.
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