Kerala   

Call for tighter control over quarries

Death traps: Vertical quarrying, as shown in the photo, is a dangerous trend.

Keralites are so used to awaking to disasters. But that awakening is also usually very short lived. In the last few years, Kerala has witnessed many man-made disasters and accidents, which could have been totally avoided if rules and regulations were abided with. For example, the boat accident at Thattekadu, death of many infants due to infection at SAT Hospital, the penstock-pipe burst, the recent death of nuns and the latest quarry accident. Many a times it is not the lack of rules or regulations which leads to disasters but the lack of a proper implementation mechanism. Regulatory bodies should ensure that guidelines and safety precautions are put in place and abided with. Defaulters should be fined heavily so that it acts as a deterrent to others. Accountability to the society should always be there in the mind of any individual. Quarries often come up without proper sanctions, and if at all they have sanctions, would have been gained through unhealthy deals. Proper mechanisms like environmental impact assessments, safety checks and monitoring on an annual basis etc. should be carried out for all major industrial establishments.

Renjan Mathew Varghese

Thiruvananthapuram

Accidents in quarries happen not due to lack of the laws but due to lax implementation. These types of accidents are caused by unscientific quarrying and mishandling of explosives. Usually, quarrying is done in a step-by-step method taking into consideration site conditions.

In this case, risk of sliding is considerably less. But to procure a large quantity in a very short period, quarries resort to vertical cutting, which leads to severe accidents.

This type of vertical cutting should be avoided and this can be regulated by the Mining and Geology Department. Also, in most of the quarries there will not be a certified man to handle explosives and it will be stored in more quantity than allowed.

The Mining and Geology Department, the Controller of Explosives and the panchayat, who give licence to a quarry, are not carrying out periodical inspections. If it is done, a certain amount of safety can be assured.

Quarry workers should be given safety training and panchayats should insist on safety devices, including earth movers if necessary. Sirens of permitted range should also be used before each blasting.

Maju Balakrishnan

Thiruvananthapuram

Mining is in itself perilous. It becomes even more so if it is on a small area. Hence, the site for mining should not be less than fifty cents. Those who undertake mining projects should strictly adhere to the regulations stipulated in the permit. Soil survey should be mandatory. The excavated wet soil and stones should be removed from the spot at once. The officials concerned from the Mining and Geology Department should at times visit the location and monitor the work. It is imperative that a member of the local government body visit the area often and take initiatives for the safety of the workers and make them aware of the regulations. It is apparent that once quarry owners get the permit, they begin to execute the work according to their own whims. The onus is on the officials concerned to keep track of the work.

N. Ramachandran

Vakkom

It is a near impossible task for the Department of Mining and Geology of the State government to regularly monitor the thousands of quarries spread across the State. Compounding the problem is the existence of illegal quarries where safety norms are flouted with impunity. The recent decision of some of the quarry owners to insure the life of the workers is a laudable development. However, this should not result in dilution of safety measures in the quarries. In order to assist the resource-strapped government machinery to monitor quarrying across the state, the feasibility of creating a panel of professional inspectors to regularly monitor the quarries needs to be examined.

It could be done either by expanding the department or by creating an external panel of supervisors who will inspect the mines on the basis of a transparent safety protocol and report to the authorities concerned. This will help the government create a database of the existing quarries in the State. In order to increase the frequency of supervision and to attract people’s participation, social audit by local people and voluntary agencies should be encouraged. In order to facilitate such arrangements, a suitably worded clause will have to be incorporated into permits and lease agreements. Quarry owners and contractors have a responsibility to ensure that abandoned quarries do not become death traps, by properly fencing the area.

V.N. Mukundarajan

Thiruvananthapuram

Though technology has advanced, accidents in quarry operations continue to occur. Workers become victims on the sites due to explosions, sliding of the upper portion of the rock bed, being hit by granite pieces, etc. As prevention is better than cure, the government may, in consultation with experts in the field, suggest safety measures to be followed by the quarry workers. Since materials used for quarry operations are highly explosive in nature, it is not possible to prevent accidents completely. Hence feasibility of bringing the activity under the purview of the Employees State Insurance Scheme should be seriously considered. Awareness about the need for life insurance should also be created among he workers.

S. Paul Dhason

Thiruvananthapuram

On documents mining is done by licensed contractors. It is however, a fact that majority of quarries are functioning under sub-contracts. The responsibility rests with major contractors who may be aware of the protective measures to be taken in quarries, but many of the sub-contractors are unaware of the protective measures to be taken or they do not take the pain to do so.

Rules must be framed taking into consideration contracts as well as sub-contracts. It must be enforced that trained workers having sufficient experience in handling explosives alone are employed in quarries.

The local authorities must have sufficient powers to check the locations and to take timely action, if necessary with the help of the police.

G. Muraleedharan

Vattiyoorkavu

Man-made accidents such as the one near Perumbavoor, the boat tragedy at Thathekkad and a host of other accidents on the road and waterways inflict more on the people than killing diseases.

Compensation paid to the victims should be recovered from those who violate safeguards, as in the case of the quarry accident, where unauthorised and unlawful quarrying had been going on for long without the law enforcement authorities noticing. Local bodies that have direct information relating to unauthorised operations remain unaccountable. Many unauthorised and illegal operations of mining, quarrying etc. should have been booked at the off-set itself. The local bodies should also be punished for all the accidents taking place in their areas.

K.P. Karunakaran

Thiruvananthapuram

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