Kadur: Though illegal sand mining has been controlled to some extent due to the police action in the recent past, the villagers in Kadur taluk continue to bother about the sand miners.
Sand mining is rampantly taking place near the forest department’s nursery at Sangamarameshwara where Veda and Avathi rivers join at Malleshwara village in Kadur taluk. There is a mud road to reach the nursery via Thangali.
There is another route from Macheri village to reach the place. According to villagers, illegal sand mining commences at midnight. Three to four tractors are engaged in sand transportation. By 4 am, minimum five loads of sand is transported from the place. One load of sand is sold for Rs 2,500-3,000 in black market.
It was only a month ago that a person died of landslide while digging sand in the river basin near Haruvanahalli. Due to sand mining, a pit of 12 feet deep has been formed near the river basin. River bank too has sunk and in case of heavy rain, it might lead to flood and there is all probability of water entering agriculture land near by.
