Dakshina Kannada DC asks Mines and Geology Department to open sand helpline

Sand available for sale at the stockyards at Adyapady and Shambhoor

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra on Friday instructed the Mines and Geology Department to start a helpline to listen and address the complaints of sand consumers.

Speaking at the district sand committee meeting, Dr. Rajendra asked B.M. Lingaraj, Deputy Director of the department, to open the helpline at the earliest.

The Deputy Commissioner said sand was available for sale to consumers at the stockyards at Adyapady and Shambhoor. The sand had been collected during dredging of the vented dams built across the Phalguni and the Netravathi at Adyapady and Shambhoor, respectively.

Consumers can book sand using Maralu Mitra App. The department should provide enough publicity for it and help consumers to get sand.

He asked the department to submit to the district administration details on the sand in stock, bookings made by consumers, and sand sold to consumers, every week. Sand transporting vehicles should have GPS devices fitted and CCTV cameras should be fixed in the stockyards and dredging areas.

The department should ensure that people residing near the dredging areas did not face any problems due to dredging.