Mangaluru : The district administration, on Tuesday, continued to crackdown on illegal sand transportation. A total of 93 sand-laden lorries were seized from various parts of Dakshina Kannada district (DK).

Officials during a raid at Adyaru, Arkula and Kallapu in Mangaluru taluk seized 15 lorries, one earth mover and seven bulldozers. In Bantwal, officials visited various places and seized 36 lorries which were overloaded and 12 lorries for not obtaining valid permits to transport sand. Apart from this, nine lorries in Belthangady, three in Moodbidri, eight in Puttur and 10 lorries in Sullia taluk have been seized. The operation was carried out by Mangaluru Assistant Commissioner Dr Prashanth, Mangaluru Tahsildar Mohan Rao and Bantwal Tahsildar Purandara.

Recently, Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim had issued guidelines to regulate sand extraction and transportation. One condition was to allow the transportation of only 10 tonnes of sand in a lorry for which permit is issued. The Mines and Geology Department had been asked to install CCTV cameras for strict vigil on the trucks.

Tahsildars have been asked to raid sand extraction units to check the illegal sand extraction and overloading of lorries.

Accordingly, revenue officials with the help of police stopped vehicles that were carrying sand far beyond the prescribed limits on Monday. As many as 75 vehicles were seized in the operation that was held in different parts of the district on Monday.

In the last two-days a total of 177 vehicles have been seized. The DC has congratulated Tahsildars for cracking illegal sand extraction and transportation. The drive against illegal sand extraction and overloaded trucks transporting sand will continue.

He has asked the sand miners to be cautious of illegal sand extraction and to obtain valid permits from the authorities for extraction and transportation of sand.“Trucks were allowed to carry 10 per cent more than the permitted load. But here it was far above the limits,” said the DC.