In a significant operation aimed at curbing illicit natural resource extraction, Karnataka Lokayukta police have dismantled a large-scale illegal sand mining network operating along the Tungabhadra and Sharavathi rivers in Shivamogga district. The coordinated raids, conducted on Saturday, targeted 25 locations and resulted in the seizure of approximately 17,000 metric tonnes of illegally mined sand and 52 vehicles.
Deep-Rooted Collusion Under Scrutiny
The operation, meticulously planned and executed over two months in secrecy to prevent leaks and bypass potential institutional collusion, was led by Lokayukta Superintendent of Police M.S. Koulapure and Deputy SP B.P. Chandrashekhar. Fifteen specialized teams, comprising personnel from Davanagere, Haveri, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, and Belagavi districts, simultaneously struck strategic points across Shivamogga, Bhadravathi, Tirthahalli, Sagar, and Hosanagara taluks. Information was available with The Chenab Times that the operation bypassed local police and the district administration due to suspected deep-rooted complicity.
Following the physical raids, Lokayukta teams also searched the Shivamogga office of the Department of Mines and Geology. An audit of the office’s records revealed that a penalty of Rs 1.08 crore, previously levied against illegal operators, had not been collected. This finding further underscored the extent of alleged complicity among local regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies, with sources indicating that some officials were reportedly acting as middlemen in facilitating the illicit release of seized vehicles.
Evidence of Widespread Irregularities
The raids uncovered evidence of illegal sand extraction from riverbeds and its subsequent transportation. Confiscated machinery included heavy earth movers, trucks, tractors, boats, and sand filter machines, with the total value of seized vehicles and specialized equipment estimated to be in crores of rupees. The operation also revealed that the illegal mining activities had intensified significantly in the week preceding the raids.
The Karnataka Lokayukta has directed officers from the Mines and Geology Department, Police, Revenue Department, Road Transport Office, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, and the Public Works Department to initiate further legal action against those found involved. The investigation also pointed towards the alleged involvement of forest department staff and police personnel in the illegal mining operations, as stated by the Lokayukta SP. Concerns have also been raised by environmental activists regarding the brazenness of illegal sand miners, some of whom have allegedly been seen openly mocking law enforcement agencies, allegedly with the backing of local politicians in Hosanagara taluk.
The crackdown is part of a broader effort by the Karnataka Lokayukta to address rampant illegal sand mining, which has been a persistent issue in several districts of the state. Previous investigations by the Lokayukta in Bagalkote district, for instance, have also led to suo motu cases against senior government officials, including the Deputy Commissioner and tahsildars, for alleged large-scale illegal sand mining in the Krishna River riverbed. Those operations, involving numerous earthmovers, excavators, and trucks, also highlighted prima facie evidence of widespread irregularities and violations of environmental norms and mining regulations.
The scale of the Shivamogga operation and the revelations about non-collection of penalties and alleged collusion suggest a systemic issue that requires robust administrative and legal intervention. The Lokayukta’s actions aim to bring accountability to the sand mining sector and protect the state’s natural resources from exploitation.
The Chenab Times News Desk