former cop to stir against illegal sand extraction

PANJIM, MARCH 3
After the agitation by Cavrem-Pirla tribals demanding shutting down of a mine, Mines and Geology Department will see another protest infront of its office in Panjim from March 7 onwards.
Former assistant sub inspector (ASI) Narayan Sopte Kerkar on Thursday told reporters that he will resort to indefinite hunger strike before the Mines and Geology department from March 7, protesting against the uncontrolled illegal sand extraction activity in his Keri village, in Pernem taluka.
 “With the rampant sand extraction, the saline water has entered the village wells. Almost half of the village is submerged with water gushing from Terekhol River,” Kerkar said adding that even the sand bars are destroyed due to this activity.
Kerkar said that the hunger strike will continue till the mines department implements its order dated September 8, 2010, which states that ‘extraction and stacking of sand within two kilometers upstream of Terekhol River was not permitted’.
 “The strike is just to save the village from being destroyed. If the sand extraction activities go on like this, there will be a day when entire village will be submerged,” he said.
Kerkar informed press that during the site inspection carried out by the department it was revealed that the said area belongs to the state Fisheries department and sand stacking is been done and also the hutments of the labourers have come up, which released waste in the water.
 “None of the two departments are ready to execute this order,” he said.
Kerkar said that as per the record mines department has issued six licences for sand extraction in the area but actually there are more than 60 canoes engaged in the river beds.
“There are around 2,000 to 3,000 labourers from the states of Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and few from Bangladesh, who are staying here,” Kerkar alleged.
The former policeman alleged that the traditional fishermen have now turned into sand extractors.