The incidence of illegal sand mining in Koppal and other districts in north Karnataka has surged, with cases rising from 4,402 in 2022-23 to 5,441 in 2023-24. The state government reported a 40 percent increase in fines collected, amounting to Rs 11.11 crore from Rs 8 crore the previous year.
“Illegal miners transport twice the permitted sand quantity from Channur, Gonal, and various villages in Vadagera taluk, Yadgir district, damaging roads. Officials remain passive as trucks pass RTO offices and police stations without intervention, despite complaints,” stated K B Manikareddy of Kurakunda, Vadagera taluk.
Five years ago, the Department of Mines and Geology auctioned sand mining blocks on riverbeds of Krishna, Tungabhadra, and its tributaries, establishing strict guidelines to prevent riverbed degradation. Nonetheless, many miners flout these rules and over-extract sand, despite raids and seizures.
Raichur-based activist Hanumanth Bhangi, who has been combating illegal sand mining for years, reports receiving threats for filing public interest litigations against the practice. “Excessive sand mining has depleted groundwater levels and caused environmental harm. Machines are used despite guidelines mandating manual extraction,” he said.
In 2023-24, officials discovered 2.59 lakh tonnes of sand illegally extracted from Koppal district. Around two tonnes were illegally stored in the Yadgir district. Authorities also seized approximately 15,000 tonnes of sand in Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Dakshina Kannada, and Koppal districts.
“Miners dig 10-12 feet deep, exceeding the three-feet limit,” added an official. MLA Karemma G Nayak has initiated efforts to curb the sand mafia along the Krishna River in the Devadurga Assembly constituency. “Illegal sand mining has halved since I launched an awareness program. We conduct night patrols despite threats. The police, mines, geology staff, and public works department must enforce strict measures,” she emphasized, having also raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly.
Staff shortages have severely impacted the mines and geology department. Election duty deployment of existing staff and police personnel exacerbated illegal activities. “We patrol nightly with tahsildar, PWD, and police officials, shifting around 750 tonnes of illegally stored sand in Afzalpur taluk,” reported Somashekhar M, deputy director of the Kalaburagi mines and geology department. “With only two geologists, monitoring all taluks is impossible,” he added.
In addition to existing blocks, over 200 sand mining blocks have been identified for auction along riverbeds, with the process expected to conclude by August, according to senior geologist Vijay Vikram. “Karnataka’s river sand deposits have diminished due to floods, increasing reliance on manufactured sand. Around 57 leaseholders, along with Karnataka State Minerals Corporation Ltd and Hutti Gold Mines Company Ltd, are engaged in sand mining,” he noted.