Mangaluru: The work under Shiradi Ghat reconstruction Package 2 on National Highway 75 (Mangaluru-Bengaluru) is likely to begin in January, although the final decision is yet to be taken. An official from the National Highways division of the state Public Works Department (PWD) at the quarterly Karnataka Development Programmes (KDP) review meeting, chaired by District In-charge Minister Ramanath Rai on Tuesday, said that if taken up in January, the work is likely to be completed in April.

The 21-km stretch, from Gulagalale to Maranahalli, will be asphalted, while the 13 kilometres from Kempuhole to Addahole will be concreted. The contractor has procured 44% of the raw materials for the road work. In addition, two paver finisher machines will be procured by the contractor. Work on 35 culverts on the stretch has also been completed.

MCC Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said that the work on new vented dam is complete and the water would be stored at five metres. If the water is stored so, about 30.64-acre land would be submerged, of which 18.12 acre is government land and rest owned by 18 farmers. The farmers who will lose land have demanded compensations. A proposal has been submitted to the government for the release of compensation, said Nazeer.

MLA J R Lobo said that people are agitated in the affected areas as the district administration has failed to take them into confidence. Although the new vented dam is ready, owing to the technical problem, silt gets accumulated in the new dam, which is likely to reduce the storage capacity and will also affect the jackwell.

Raising the issue of shortage of sand in Dakshina Kannada, MLC Ivan D’Souza said that construction activities have been affected. Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesha said that 425 licences have been issued for sand extraction in CRZ areas. The permissions were given by the MoEF by laying down 37 conditions, but the licence holders failed to adhere to the conditions. The conditions cannot be relaxed by the deputy commissioner.

In non-CRZ areas, tenders were given in 19 sand blocks. A total of 1 lakh cubic metre sand is stored for distribution. However, only 9,000 cubic metre sand has been lifted by the people so far. Thirty more sand bars have been identified in non-CRZ areas and tender is yet to be invited for the same.

The sand extractors are not taking part in the tender process, they are instead engaged in illegal sand mining and its transportation. In spite of inviting tender thrice for sand extraction at Addoor, no one came forward, he explained.