Government urged to check 'encroachment on sea'

Nayak, who visited the Belekeri port in Ankola on Friday expressed surprise over what can only be described as encroachment on the sea by the ore companies.

Nayak questioned why officials failed to take action against the Coastal Services Company, a private ore trading firm which has continued illegally dumping stones and mud on the beach,  destroying the landscape. “The ore trading companies are ‘encroaching’ upon the sea and they have the support of those in power,” he remarked.

“Prior permissions from Central Environment and Forest Department and CRZ are required to construct a jetty. The Coastal Services Company has not obtained any permission. Even then the company is dumping stone and mud on the beach and why are the officials not taking action”, he wanted to know.

“The ordinary citizen attempting to put up a hut is immediately evicted. Why are the big companies not stopped when they indulge in illegal civil works,” he questioned.

He instructed the officials to submit a detailed report about the illegal construction of jetties, including the area of encroachment, the license obtained by the company etc.

Fact file

A fact file would be put up to the government in this regard and if the government delays initiating action in this regard, then under the Human Rights Act 1993, the State Human Rights Commission will register complaints at High Court or Supreme Court, he clarified.

Department of Port official Capt Swamy, district SP Raman Gupta, Deputy Commissioner in charge Dr Narasimhamurthy and Mines and Deputy Director, Geology Nidagundi accompanied the KHRC chairman on his inspection of the jetties.