Mangaluru : Dakshina Kannada district administration is making arrangements to sell sand that will be extracted from the Thumbe vented dam through dredging, which will be taken up in a week’s time.

The available 1,000 loads of sand will be sold through the online system developed by the district administration, https://www.dksandbazaar.com

The experts submitted a report that silt has accumulated in major portions of the Thumbe vented dam. To remove the silt and increase the water storage capacity, the Mangaluru City Corporation and the district administration have taken measures to remove the silt.

The dredging work was entrusted to Althaf Trading Company and Nelco.

Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil, said that modern machinery has been installed to take up the dredging work. Even power supply has been arranged. The preparations are in progress to begin the dredging in a week.

“One acre of land has been identified for dredging after conducting a scientific study. Sand between 100 and 200 lorry loads can be extracted a day using the machine,” the deputy commissioner said, quoting the contractor.

The dredging work can be continued even during rainy season. After dredging on one-acre land, checking the availability of silt, the district administration will take a call on extending the work.

“The contractor has been entrusted the responsibility of dredging sand and transporting it to the stockyard. The work to set up the stockyard is in progress, and will be completed within a few days’ time,” said the officer.

He added that the dredged sand will be shifted to the stockyard. The sand will be sold following the demand in sandbazaar, said Senthil.

After the district administration planned to ensure a hassle-free sand supply to the residents of the district through a web portal, sand is available at a cheaper rate. Once the sand is dredged from the Thumbe vented dam, the price will reduce further, he explained.

The district administration had fixed Rs 3,700 for 10 tonnes of sand. Transportation charge is fixed at Rs 2,000 for a distance of 20 km, after which, the customer has to pay Rs 50 for every additional kilometre.

Senthil said, “The dredging at Thumbe is taken up using machines. As a result, the expenditure will be reduced. As the district administration and the City Corporation are taking up the work, there is no question of profit. The sand, therefore, is likely to be available at a cheaper rate.”