Is Pavoor Uliya Island Disappearing Due To Illegal Sand Mining? - Here's What We Know

Pavoor Uliya island on the outskirts of Mangaluru is being slowly "disappeared" due to rampant illegal sand mining, causing around 50 families to live in fear there.

Under the slogan, "Save island, protect people's life", the island was visited on Monday by members of Catholic Sabha of Mangaluru and a delegation from like-minded organisations, as reported by The New Indian Express.

Pavoor Uliya Island Disappearing - Here's What We Know

Fr Manohar D'souza, parish priest of Infant Jesus Church, stated, "Those involved in illegal sand mining must be held accountable for murder. Our pleas to the district administration and concerned departments did not receive any positive response." Gilbert D'souza, a resident of Pavoor Uliya, mentioned that the people of the island recently chased away those extracting sand.

However, they have since been threatened by the sand mafia. "The 100-acre island has been significantly reduced due to illegal sand mining. When AB Ibrahim was deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, illegal sand mining was halted at Valachil, Pavoor, Gadigadde, and behind Sahyadri College, as reported by The New Indian Express.

The sand mafia has now returned with hundreds of workers extracting and transporting sand from the island. A permanent solution to this problem is urgently needed," he added. Reporters, who were taken to Pavoor Uliya, observed some workers extracting sand there, with mounds of sand dumped along the banks of the island to be transported elsewhere.

Activist Muneer Katipalla, part of the delegation, appealed for a permanent solution to illegal sand mining at Pavoor Uliya.