ANANTAPUR: With successful action against illicit sand mining activities in the state, mostly in Rayalaseema region, there has been huge demand for sand in Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru and surrounding regions for the past two months.
AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been taking a firm stand against sand mafia, who were selling quality sand to Bengaluru and other parts from the sand reaches of AP. However, stringent action, along with border check posts, had reportedly stopped illicit transportation of sand and created huge scarcity of sand in Bengaluru city.
Previously, illegal transportation from Rayalaseema was the major source of sand for the city due to rich quality of sand available in rivers of Penna, Chitravathi and other small rivers and also notified reaches from Anantapur, Kadapa and Kurnool areas.
Sand prices have almost doubled in Bengaluru city and surrounding areas after the illegal transportation has been totally stopped. The YSRC has blamed TD leaders, including a group of MLAs, involved in illicit sand mining activities.
Karnataka and surrounding areas have been reeling under severe shortage of sand, 0.3 MT of imported sand from Malaysia has piled up at Mangaluru and Krishnapatnam ports. The neighbouring state faces a shortage of 2-3 MT of sand, with the demand close to 33 MT, sources said.
Several construction companies temporarily stopped works following poor availability of sand in Bengaluru, a builder from Kengeri area said.
In fact, quality sand will be available from reaches closer to riverbeds of Anantapur which has huge demand in Bengaluru city that had poor sources of sand in Karnataka.
The sand policy, during the TD government’s tenure, had reportedly encouraged illicit mining and transportation. Official sources revealed that at least 57 sand reaches exist, excluding 12 sand reaches in private Patta lands.
Anantapur collector Satyanarayana has been alerting mining and police departments, during every review meeting, to be keen to curb illicit transportation of sand to Bengaluru from AP border areas.
