Women of Dasanapura, in the taluk, gathered on the banks of the River Cauvery and appealed to the officials to allow extraction of sand from the river bed as many families in the village were dependent on the trade for their livelihood.
They appealed to the officials after men of the village, who were involved in sand extraction, on Wednesday, fled the scene following a raid conducted by Assistant Commissioner Kavitha Rajaram, Tahsildar C Mahadevaiah and their team members.
The officials conducted a raid on the villages on the banks of the river, following a tip off that rampant sand extraction was going on in the wake of a rumour that sand extraction has been allowed, following a protest of Sand Transporters Association on Tuesday.
Chase
Labourers in over 20 coracles were busy extracting sand, when the officials visited Dasanapura. As the officials chased them in boats, the labourers sunk the coracles, jumped into the water and disappeared.
The officials announced that both extraction and transportation of sand had been banned and the villagers should not believe rumours. “If the villagers violate the ban, they will be arrested and criminal cases filed against them,” they warned.
Earlier, the officials seized two bullock carts and heaps of sand near Sargur village.
DH News Service
