Unabated sand extraction sinks water bodies

Sand mining continues unabated in Kolar district despite the claims of the government of introducing a new regime to check the illegal activity.

Reckless extraction of sand from the banks of tanks and ponds has cast a deleterious effect on the water bodies in the drought-prone district.

The only solace is that some control has been achieved on the wanton act after a public interest litigation was filed in the High Court.

Writer Dr Chandrashekhar Nangali recalled that decades ago, people residing in Gudiyattam of Andhra Pradesh, downstream Nangali tank, were used to be warned of the tank overflowing.

However, it has already been more than ten years since the tank filled to the brim. The story of other water bodies is no different.

The ‘task’ of emptying the bank of Kolaramma tank too has been continuing unhindered.

The precious water body is being encroached upon from all possible directions. The surface area of the tank has obviously shrunk thus reducing is water storage. While the previous generation rues about the disappearance of water bodies the present generation has concern about stemming the rot.

PIL submitted

A public interest litigation filed in the High Court succeeded in ensuring some sort of check on sand extraction in the district. Shivaprakash M, the advocate, who has been pursuing the matter said the departments concerned were yet to file an affidavit on reining in sand mafia.

Unfortunately, after exhausting tank and river beds, sand is now being extracted on agricultural lands also.

Dr Nangali said the sand deposit on the banks of Chitravati in Bagepalli and Gauribidanur was looted to fuel the development of Bangalore. With it came the problem of high fluoride content in water.

Any failure to check the excess may prove costly for already fragile local ecology.
DH News Service