UPPINAKOTE (UDUPI DISTRICT), (The Hindu): ‘Fish catch hit, bridges on National Highway 66 in danger’ Fishermen, farmers and women came out to express their ire against the reckless sand extraction taking place at Uppinakote and nearby villages here on Wednesday.
The fishermen are the most upset as they say it has led to a decline in fish catch and has impacted their earnings.
Prakash, a fisherman from Bennekudru village, said the contractors have licence to extract sand in one village, but they do it in other villages too.
“The extraction is being done by a few small boats. Earlier, there was a colour code by which one could identify the village to which the boat belonged. But now, it is being done by several country boats on a large scale. This has reduced the fish catch,” he said.
Another fisherman, Krishna Bangera, said the catch of clams had dropped drastically because of sand extraction at Mabukala, Airody and some villages on the banks of the Sita.
Their fish nets are also getting torn.
“If the fish catch goes down, how can we survive? Like farmers, a time will come when fishermen will have to commit suicide,” he said.
Those whose houses are located on the river bank said that sand extraction was posing a danger to their houses and gardens situated on river banks and to bridges on National Highway 66.
Peter, a farmer, said three to four coconut trees on the river bank were washed away in the river.
Sand contractors are extracting sand close to the pillars of the bridges on NH 66.
“They are supposed to work 500 metres away from the bridges. But this is not being followed. This poses a danger to the bridges. Can’t government officials, who travel over these bridges see it?” he said.
People living on the small islands nearby expressed their concern at the increasing depth of the Sita, which is making it dangerous to cross the river from the mainland.
Mallika, a homemaker from Kukkude village, said she and her family members had to cross the river by country boats daily. “Crossing it on boat is now risky, more so during the monsoon, when the river is in spate,” she said.
