HEALTH HAZARD: A stone crusher in operation at Narasimhaswamy Betta in Ramanagaram taluk.

BIDADI (BANGALORE Rural): The quiet evenings in this rustic environs are frequently punctuated by the blasting of dynamites in the hillocks. The result is that children have nightmares, houses have developed cracks and the health of human beings and livestock has been affected.

The blasts from the quarries at Narasimhaswamy Betta, reverberate through the Kenchanakuppe village in Ramanagaram taluk.

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Despite strong support for its closure and the directions from the Deputy Commissioner for cancellation of mining permits, nearly 40 crushers are being used to meet the needs of construction industry.

Besides Kenchanakuppe, the quarrying has also affected Tammanadoddi, Janata Colony, Dasappa Doddi and Kallugopalli villages in the vicinity. Villagers have been reporting up to 120 blasts in the quarries every day.

A four-member team that visited the area earlier following complaints also recommended the closure of the quarries and non-use of crushers in view of the health hazards.

Based on this report, Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore Rural, D.K. Rangaswamy, on October 27, 2006, directed the Deputy Director, Department of Mines and Geology to cancel all permits issued for quarrying in the village.

Speaking to The Hindu, K.P. Prasad of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha said that the quarrying and crushing in the area were in violation of the Supreme Court ruling. He said, "The ruling clearly stipulates ban on quarrying near any dwellings, State highways and water bodies. Sufficient precautionary measures such as developing green cover around the quarries have not been followed here."

Though the residents of neighbouring areas have been campaigning against the illegal quarrying, he said, the quarries and crushers continued to operate.

Meanwhile, standing on top of the hillock, as a mute witness to the illegal quarrying, is the ancient temple of Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy where the villagers have even stopped performing the routine rituals.

Rituals have been discontinued, as the connecting road to the temple has been cut off due to quarrying.

In fact, quarrying is not permitted if a temple is with in 250 metres from the site of blasting.

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