KARWAR: The Deputy Commissioner, Ritesh Kumar Singh, has said that exporters of manganese ore have flouted a Government Order banning storage of ore during monsoon.

They are continuing their activities amounting to violation of the Environment Protection Act. He said legal action will be initiated and criminal cases will be booked against such exporters if they continue the practice.

Addressing a meeting of transport contractors, exporters and the officials of the Pollution Control Board, Department of Ports and the Department of Mines and Geology here on Friday, he named 17 exporters who had violated the Government Order and said an opportunity has been given to them to correct themselves.

He pointed out that these exporters at a meeting held in April this year had agreed to exhaust the existing stock then before the commencement of monsoon and discontinue to hold further stock of ore till the end of monsoon.

The ore, which gets mixed with rainwater, causes water pollution it is said.

In view of this, the exporters should stop getting new stock of ore and take precautionary measures to prevent further environmental damage that may be caused by the existing stock.

The measures suggested are covering ore deposited in the stack yard by tarpaulin, piling cement hollow blocks or sand bags to a height of two feet around the storage, digging four feet wide and four feet deep trenches around the stock yard to prevent rainwater from entering into it, construction of two setting tanks in series to store water flowing from the stock yard and releasing the water after treatment.

All these activities will be photographed and videographed, he said. The exporters violating these directions will be prosecuted under the Water Pollution Control Act of 1974 and also the Mining Act, he said.

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