Illegal sand mining spells doom for water bodies in Koratagere

Suwarnamukhi and Garudachala rivers turn bald

The illegal sand extraction, loading and transportation goes unabated during nights in the taluk. A visit to the water bodies of Holavanahalli and Kolala hoblis in Koratagere taluk is enough to make out the ugly effects of rampant sand mining.

Indiscriminate sand mining in Karakalghatta lake, at a stream near the burial ground at Doddamutt, in Garudachala river near Mutyalamma Temple, Mudumaranahalli and Chimpuganahalli have changed the course of the streams and have left deep scars on the ponds and lakes of Holavanahalli and Kolala hoblis in the taluk.

Sand mafia has encroached upon the land, located on survey number 10 of Buruganahalli, close to Suwarnamukhi and extract sand from the riverbed which is transported to Tumakuru, Bengaluru and Andhra. The extraction of sand on the lake bed goes unabated after sunset. Illegally extracted sand is being transported at night through lorries.

The villagers allege that a few police and revenue department officials are hand in glove with sand mafia.  There are check points erected at several places in the taluk. But the officials allow illegal sand mining thrive in the region of course for a hefty bribe money.

Police, at times, seize sand laden lorries and park the vehicles on police station premises. they harass the lorry owners for hefty bribe money and let them go if they pay the money. The police would book the owners who refuse to pay them the bribe, members of lorry owners association complained.

Ten days back, the police had seized a sand-laden lorry, with registration number bearing KA 05 B 7457 near Gutlahalli in the taluk. The lorry has been parked on the police station premises. But the police have not booked the lorry owner so far. They harass the owners to cough up bribe money. They do not book all lorries involved in illegal transportation of sand, the association members alleged.

The sand-laden lorries plying in the taluk have damaged several roads beyond repair. The interior roads have been turned into dirt race tracks. The kuchcha road between Chikkapalya and Saaggere, where the overloaded lorries ply to avoid being caught by the police and revenue officials, has become unmotorable.

The elected representatives and the officials concerned are not bothered to check the menace which is causing revenue loss to the State exchequer and adverse impact to the ecology, lament aggrieved villagers.