District in-charge Minister of Dakshina Kannada, Dinesh Gundu Rao, directed officials on Wednesday to install CCTV cameras on both sides of bridges along major highways and main roads to prevent ‘illegal’ activities.

During an inspection of the strengthening work on the Addur Bridge along the Perali-Addur State Highway, Rao highlighted reports of sand mining near bridges weakening their structures.

He said that although extracting sand within a 500-meter radius of bridges is prohibited, violations have still been reported, compromising the stability of the bridges.

To ensure the safety of these critical structures, Rao instructed officials to implement round-the-clock CCTV surveillance at both ends of all key bridges, including the Addur Bridge.

The strengthening of the Addur Bridge is currently underway at an estimated cost of Rs 6.10 crore.

Additionally, the minister acknowledged public demands for a new bridge in the area and stated that a proposal for its construction would be submitted to the Public Works Department.

The inspection was attended by MLC Manjunath Bhandari, Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan, former Minister Ramanath Rai, and other senior officials.