Sumalatha seeks govt to stop illegal mining in KRS vicinity

The government has to immediately conduct a drone survey to identify the extent of illegal mining, she said

Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, who met Mines and Geology minister Murugesh Nirani on Monday, has urged the government to put an end to illegal mining around KRS dam and in the deemed forest areas of Mandya district.

The government has to immediately conduct a drone survey to identify the extent of illegal mining and penalise the violators, who are causing a loss to the state exchequer, the MP demanded.

She also alleged that her recent efforts to visit some of the areas where illegal mining was taking place, was thwarted by vested interests who had blocked the approach roads.

The MP had recently claimed that the KRS dam had cracks owing to the illegal mining, which was later refuted by the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd. This also led to a bitter war-of-words with JD(S) leaders led by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.