Mangaluru: Sand mining in the monsoon has been banned, this has led to a terrible shortage, hoarding and black marketeering of the availble stockpile affecting constrcution work around Mangaluru. To make things worse the District Administration has not made alternative arrangements. Appalled at the state of affairs, the Civil Contractors’ Association, Mangaluru, has decided to hold a protest march and demonstration here on Thursday.

Association president Purushotham Kottary told presspersons here on Tuesday that the administration did not make alternative arrangements while deciding to ban sand mining from rivers in the CRZ limits. It had asked sand miners to keep the stock of the sand lifted between June 1 and 15 and supply the same to local contractors. Instead, the miners are making money by providing sand for inter-district and inter-State requirements, Mr. Kottary said.

He said that despite the district administration’s reported ban on sand mining and restriction on inter-district and inter-State movement, several truckloads of sand have been seized by Kerala police in Kasaragod district. These incidents speak a lot about the efficiency of the administration in the district, Mr. Kottary said.

“We are not fighting for our cause. It is the poor persons who are getting affected due to non-availability of sand. Construction during the monsoon is beneficial as the water requirement is the minimum. But construction activities have come to a standstill as there is no sand,” Mr. Kottary said.

The administration still can arrange sand with about 12,000 tonnes of dredged sand available in different locations in the district, Mr. Kottary said.

The protest march would start from Clock Tower in Hampanakatta and culminate near Deputy Commissioner’s office, starting 3.30 p.m. on Thursday. Vice-presidents Dinkar Suvarna, Mahabala Kottary, and others were present.