What is the need for sand extraction in CRZ rivers, ask traditional fishermen

Survey to identify sandbars wholly unscientific, no representative from the community included in th

Survey to identify sandbars wholly unscientific, no representative from the community included in the committee, says Dakshina Kannada District Traditional Fishermen Association

The Dakshina Kannada District Traditional Fishermen Association on Tuesday said that when the traditional fishermen did not face any navigation problem due to purported sandbars in Phalguni (Gurupura) and Netravati rivers under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), it was surprising that the district sand monitoring committee has identified 17 sandbars to issue sand extraction permits.

Association joint secretary Rithesh D’Souza told reporters here that the survey to identify sandbars was wholly unscientific. No representative of traditional fishermen was included in the committee. “When we do not have any problem to navigate our boats in the rivers, it is an irony that in the name of facilitating smooth navigation channel, the administration was attempting to ruin our life,” he regretted.

Mr. Dsouza said: “We are engaged in traditional fishing in these two rivers since the time of our forefathers.” Legal as well as illegal sand extraction for the last one decade has severely affected the life and earnings of the traditional fishermen with fish breeding grounds getting destroyed and the growth of algae biomass as the river beds were deeply excavated. Many marine produce, including maruvai (clams), ladyfish, prawns, crabs, balchat etc., have disappeared from the rivers.

Mr. D’Souza said that the December 7 order by the Deputy Commissioner restoring 148 cancelled permits and issuing 54 new ones for sand extraction from these two rivers under CRZ would spell doom for traditional fishermen.

He also noted that as against the norm of using dhingy boats (less than 25 ft length) as mandated by the CRZ notification, sand extractors were using motorised large steel boats thereby extracting sand in unimaginable quantities. During the erstwhile Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra’s tenure, the Mines and Geology Department could seize over 70 loads of illegally extracted sand, he noted.

Association president Abubaker Tayyab said traditional fishermen, who were leading independent life, were now forced to work as labourers in large boats because of non-availability of fish in rivers owing to sand extraction. As the river bed has become very deep, chances of traditional fishermen losing life too were high, he said.