Mangalore : The district-level Task Force Committee on sand extraction on Thursday decided to make it compulsory for all trucks transporting sand to be fitted with GPS and for the Mines and Geology Department to continuously monitor it. Any violations of the permit conditions or deviations from routes would result in the cancellation of the transportation permit, the committee said.

Police Commissioner S. Murugan asked the department to strictly enforce this rule as followed in other districts. If the vehicle goes offline, immediate action has to be taken, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said the validity of the transportation permit has to be reduced from the current seven day. Using this seven day permit, transporters make multiple trips, he said. Mr. Ibrahim directed the department to immediately send a proposal to the headquarters to restrict the permit to just 24 hours so as to prevent the misuse.

The department, in association with the Mines and Geology Department, should install weigh-bridges and CCTV cameras at vantage locations to check overloading.

The excess load should be off-loaded on the spot before imposing the fine and letting the vehicle move on. Also, strict vigil should be maintained to prevent inter-State transportation of sand, especially to Kerala which has a porous border with the district, Mr. Ibrahim said.

When Mr. Murugan asked the Mines and Geology Department how many vehicles they had detained and registered cases with the police, the officials concerned fumbled to answer.

“We detained some vehicles and handed them over to the police; we were waiting for transporters to furnish supporting documents,” said one of the officials.

Taking strong objection to this, Mr. Murugan asked why should the department talk in favour of illegal transporters. “You bring the vehicle and register a case with us; we will look after the matter later,” he said.

Sand extraction in the Nethravathi and the Gurupura, adjoining the city within the Coastal Regulatory Zone limits, is actually ‘clearing sand from the river beds for smooth movement of boats.”

Revealing this at the District Task Force Committee meeting on sand extraction here on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said that this situation was peculiar only in the three coastal districts. “It is a bubble and any day it can burst exposing several persons,” he said.

Sand taken out from the water requires washing before being used for construction, revealed an official. However, nobody was sure how many would know this when the dredged sand is available less than the half price of regular river sand.