No dearth of sand in DK district: DC Sasikanth Senthil
Mangaluru, Jan 9: Saying that there was no dearth of sand in the district, Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil said that scarcity of sand was being cropped up due to temporary permits for the sand mining and it was planning to bring in changes in it.
Speaking to reporters at the Press Club here on Wednesday, the DC said that some people have been spreading rumours that there was scarcity of sand in the district, against which the district administration has taken action.
So far, the district administration has received 400-500 applications for temporary permits for sand mining. As the number of temporary permits increased, the problem would also be increased. Such people have been damaging the river beds by lifting the sand directly from the river.
The district administration has recommended the state government to give 100- 120 temporary permits. If the Non-CRZ was opened in the district, there would be no scarcity for sand. Already, 15 members have filed their biddings, he explained.
Responding to a question on transporting sand to Kerala illegally, the DC said that the district administration has taken all possible actions regularly. Illegal sand transportation lorries and boats were seized and raids were conducted on illegal sand mining area. Suspecting that some employees have involved in illegal sand transportation in Ullala limits, investigation was being conducted against it, he said.
On lack of coordination between the police and mines and geology department while conducting raids, the DC said that both the police and Mines and Geology department officials have jointly conducted raids on illegal sand mining areas in the district.
Later, the responsibility of managing the seized sand and other materials would be on Sand Monitoring Committee. If the raids were continued, the illegal sand mining business could be stopped, he said.
Before the interaction programme, the DC was felicitated by the District Working Journalists Association. Association president Srinivas Nayak Indaje, General secretary Ibrahim Ad Kasthala, Information officer Khader Sha and others were present.
‘Mangaluru image gets affected due to media’s negative exaggeration’
The image of Mangaluru was affected due to some vested interests who have been trying to create disturbance in the district due to which it was known as communally sensitive district. Media also played a major role in this development. The district has got bad image due to communal issues. So, people of the district should be careful about such developments, the DC said.
Under the leadership of Dakshina Kannada District Working Journalists Association, works were being taken up under the concept ‘Brand Mangaluru’ which is a welcoming note. Right from the beginning, Mangaluru has brand value. But due to some vested interests, the brand value was affected. It was the responsibility of every citizen of the district to exhibit the culture of the coastal district to the world, the DC said.
Satellite bus stand
It was decided to construct a satellite bus station at Pumpwell in the city. But in the revised plan, Pumpwell was dropped and preparations were on to construct satellite bus stations at Padil and Kulur. Along with this, priority would be given to develop railway junctions, the DC said.
Digital touch to Clock Tower
Construction work of Clock Tower was going on before the State Bank- Mini Vidhana Soudha in the city. This was being constructed under the Smart City Project and it would not affect the traffic movement as alleged by somebody.
In future, it was planning to digitalise the Clock Tower to spread more information to the people. A well-equipped market yard would also come under the Smart City Project and it would also be developed shortly, Sasikanth Senthil said.
Loan waiver process: Property cards delayed
As the officials were engaging in loan waiver scheme process, the distribution of property cards was delayed in the district. Already, 40 per cent progress was achieved in distribution of property cards. The process would be completed in next three months, he said.
“Priority will be given to promote and protect the environment, tradition, and culture of the district. Though development issues are good, they will be executed within a frame work. More than everything, health and safety are important”.
- Sasikanth Senthil, Deputy Commissioner
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Navi Mumbai International Airport starts commercial flight operations
Mumbai (PTI): The Navi Mumbai International Airport commenced commercial flight operations on Thursday, marking a key milestone for India's civil aviation sector, while expanding air travel capacity for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) began operations, with the first flight from Bengaluru, operated by IndiGo, touching down the runway at 8 am.
The aircraft was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute on arrival, a time-honoured aviation tradition marking NMIA's first commercial touchdown and departure, the airport operator said in a statement.
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The inaugural arrival was followed by the airport's first departure IndiGo flight 6E882 to Hyderabad at 08:40 am, completing NMIA's inaugural arrival and departure cycle, it said.
On the first day, IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and Star Air will operate domestic services, connecting the new facility to nine destinations across India.
The airport will handle 15 scheduled departures on the first day, it said, adding that during the initial phase, the facility will operate for 12 hours -- between 8 am and 8 pm, with up to 24 scheduled daily departures to 13 destinations and the capability to manage up to 10 aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) per hour, it added.
The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8 this year.
The first phase of the five-phased airport was built at Rs 19,650 crore.
By the time all five phases of the airport are completed, it will be catering to 90 million passengers annually, along with dedicated cargo terminals and multimodal connectivity.
The entire project is being developed in multiple phases under a special purpose vehicle, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL), in which the Adani Group has a 74 per cent stake, and the remaining 26 per cent is owned by CIDCO.
From February next year, operations are planned to progressively scale up to round-the-clock services.
