Kerala   

Need for strict implementation of norms stressed

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

The accident at a granite quarry in Perumbavoor clearly indicates the lapses on the part of authorities concerned in checking indiscriminate quarrying. As the construction work in the district is at a peak there is scarcity of granite, which compels those in the business to resort to unfair practices. Quarrying should not be permitted beyond a certain depth. Authorities fail to look into what is going on in quarries. If the present law lacks teeth, it may be amended to make it effective. The authorities must take note of the fact that our hills and mountains are vanishing because of quarrying. Steps to curb accidents must be taken and disaster management systems put in place to deal with any situation.

V.P. Ramesan

Thripunithura

The more the rules and laws, the greater the urge and ease to flout them; the reality in this case is hardly different.

Of course, the government should strictly regulate and monitor quarries, yet something more helps, like targeting those that ultimately benefit from them.

The government can insist on greater transparency by builders and property developers about the sources of their building materials, for which they may be held solely responsible.

Also, it may commission a scientific survey of the reserves of material available to determine how they may be safely and optimally exploited. Success is further ensured if the privileged and financially well-endowed home-buyers and other customers can be made to change their attitude towards what they seek.

They may emulate what their peers in the developed world have done to the retailing sector. By demanding transparency in the working of this sector, and willingly paying the extra cost due to ethical sourcing of supplies, they fulfil their social responsibility in fair measure.

Devraj Sambasivan

Alappuzha

Labourers suffer much in quarries and construction sites with meagre incomes and high amount of work. Quarry workers are not provided with minimum wages, good food, healthy atmosphere, safety on the worksite, etc.

The government should take necessary action against those who are violating the rules and see to it that the workers are given sufficient protection at work. This should be applicable not only to quarries but to all fields of work in the State, especially in the construction area.

Neelandon Kuruvattoor

Ottappalam

Due to lack of efficient and sufficient rules in the State, the low-class labourers are suffering a lot.

Quarries are no exception to this. Workers not only from this State, but also from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and some eastern States suffers a lot due to inaction on the part of the authorities to protect their lives and ensure minimum wages for them.

As they are not voters, politicians also are not interested in their matters. Many agents work in between the quarry owners and the labourers.

Neither the Minimum Wages Act nor any other laws concerning workers are applicable to these quarry workers.

There are very little safety measures in these areas and nobody bothers to correct this. These quarries should be placed under the village officer concerned and a system should be started to check the facilities available for workers, even if they are from outside the State.

P. Sankaranarayanan

Thripunithura

It is the construction boom which has resulted in the spurt in quarry activities with scant regard for safety norms, if at all they exist. A random check will reveal that operators act with callous haste to meet the increasing demand.

What is the panacea for this ill? All the haphazard rules and regulations must be codified and a comprehensive Bill enacted without further delay. Otherwise, there will be more Kuzhoors. You have been warned enough !!

K.B. Rajagopalan

Kochi

The owners and workers of granite quarries are at the receiving end due to loopholes in the administrative system.

The fact that many of the granite quarries functioning in the State are devoid of licences is a shocking reality. This is in absolute abrogation of the provisions of the Explosive Substances Act. As such, the prospect of insurance cover for the lives of these workers has dimmed.

Quarry owners claim that the procedures for obtaining licences are time-consuming on account of delays caused by corrupt authorities and they do not wait for the issue of licence. The workers also lack awareness regarding such crucial matters and fall prey to administrative failures.

It is high time that the authorities performed their respective duties according to the existing laws. The quarry workers should be made aware of the insecurities involved in their work and their rights and privileges.

Krishna K.

Poonithura

The recent quarry accident in Kuzhoor which claimed five lives should open our eyes to the dangers such granite quarries pose to the labourers, residents and the environment. The labourers are not aware of the risks they are exposed to and the authorities turn a deaf ear when locals complain about the lack of safety measures or the pollution a quarry creates. As the quarry owners’ association alleges, the authorities want the quarries to operate without licences so that they can fleece the owners threatening action. When huge sums are collected from the quarries towards royalties, there is no justification for letting things go on as before, ignoring the alarm bells sounded by the accident.

The demand of the quarry owners for a single-window system for issuing licences for quarries is legitimate. Now it takes nearly three years to get a licence, that too after much greasing of the authorities’ palms. The licence to store and use explosives needs to be issued only after thorough scrutiny. The workers at the quarries who use explosives to crack granite mounds should be properly trained. Local bodies should be more vigilant in giving nod to the operation of quarries. The Mining and Geology Department has to take into account the impact of reckless mining in any quarry. The stark reality that thousands eke out a living by working in the quarries should prompt the authorities to avoid closure of the quarries.

N.K. Vijayan

Kizhakkambalam

Not only in the quarries, but also nowhere in the State are workers’ rights protected. The workers are always abandoned by the higher classes and nobody looks after their issues and problems. The politicians who cry for them whenever an election approaches do not bother to see that the workers are safe in their workplaces. The only suggestion is to appoint a commission to see that the labourers are protected. There should not be any commission agents in between the ‘muthalali’ and the ‘thozhilali.’

S.N. Thiruvazhiode

Poonithura

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

The Perumbavoor granite quarry disaster in which five human lives were lost has caused considerable anguish and naturally a question arises whether there was any laxity in the safety measures to be followed. Disasters involving quarries and fire-cracker units are becoming common. While there are safety precautions to be followed, disasters of this nature indicate that these are not being complied with. To avoid such incidences, the authorities should come down heavily on any unit found to be lax in following precautions. If the death of an individual or individuals is caused by such a lapse, the person who was responsible for the safety should be prosecuted for man-slaughter.

T.N. RamachandranNair

Thrissur

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