Heavy rains lash parts of Karnataka
Bengaluru(PTI): Several parts of Karnataka received heavy rains on Wednesday, with Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kodagu and Udupi recording significant showers, according to data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
According to official data, Varanga in Udupi district recorded the highest rainfall at 58.5 mm, followed by Birunani (Kodagu dt, 56.5 mm). Savasuddi in Belagavi district recorded 55.0 mm rainfall while Chandapura and Doddathoguru in Bengaluru Urban recorded 53.0 mm rainfall between 8.30 am and 8.45 pm.
The KSNDMC said that Bengaluru reported 33 mm of rain at the city station, 15.2 mm at HAL Airport and a trace at Kempegowda International Airport.
Gopalnagar in Bengaluru Urban recorded 49 mm between 8.30 am and 8.30 pm.
Meanwhile, Agumbe in Shivamogga district received 37.5 mm, Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district received 10.5 mm, Gonikoppal in Kodagu 10 mm, and Mangaluru (Dakshina Kannada) 5 mm during the same duration till 8.30 pm.
Light showers were also recorded in parts of Chikkaballapura (1.5 mm), Hassan (1 mm), Hunsur in Mysuru (0.5 mm) and Ganagapura in Kalaburagi (0.5 mm). Vijayapura recorded 8 mm and Shakthi Nagar in Mangaluru 4.1 mm during the day, the data added.
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Illegal sand mining has created environmental crisis in National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday said rampant illegal riverbed sand mining has created an "environmental crisis" and wreaked "havoc" in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, causing a grave risk to the gharial (long-snouted crocodile) preservation project.
Slamming the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for their utter failure in dealing with the issue, the apex court directed them to install high-resolution Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras along all routes frequently used for illegal sand mining in the area.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed that live feed of such surveillance cameras shall be placed under the direct control, supervision and operational oversight of the superintendent of police or the senior superintendent of police of the concerned district and the divisional forest officer.
It said these officers shall ensure continuous and effective monitoring of the CCTV feeds by designating appropriate officers.
"It can't be gainsaid that the issues involved are of great concern in as much as the rampant illegal mining activities in the river bed have created an environmental crisis and havoc in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary causing a grave risk to the very project of gharial preservation of which the state governments themselves were proponents and were under an obligation to foster and promote," Justice Mehta said while pronouncing the order.
The bench directed the authorities in these three states to initiate prompt and necessary action under law if any instance of illegal mining or allied activities comes to light.
It said the authorities shall ensure seizure of vehicles or machinery found involved in illegal sand mining and also initiate prosecution of persons involved in it.
The bench, which passed several other directions, posted the matter for hearing on May 11.
The top court passed the order in a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and threat to endangered aquatic wildlife'.
The National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400-sq km tri-state protected area.
Besides the endangered gharial, it is home to the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river Dolphin.
Located on the Chambal river near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the sanctuary was first declared a protected area in Madhya Pradesh in 1978 and now constitutes a long and narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states.
On March 13, the top court took suo motu cognisance of news reports about rampant illegal sand mining on the banks of the Chambal river.
