Karnataka   

Illegal quarries causing havoc

CHAMARAJANAGAR: The poverty stricken house lost its captain (Mahadevaswamy (27) of Nallurmole) in a quarry blast near Koththalavadi in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district on July 16 and his wife runs from pillar to post to get compensation, besides feeding her children.

This is not a lone case in Gundlupet taluk. There are any number of such victims and they cannot reach the powerful quarry owners.

The State Government’s decision to bring out a comprehensive mining policy to check illegal mining and overexploitation of the State’s natural resources gives a ray of hope to environmentalists and nature lovers to save the pristine forest and environment from the clutches of quarry owners to ensure flora and fauna of this region to future generation.

Chamarajanagar district is rich in mineral resources. According to a survey by the Department of Mines and Geology, the district is blessed with deposits of black granite, asbestos, limestone, building stone and clay.

Hence the Chamarajanagar district boasts world’s best black granites. The black granite found in the district was used for ornamental purpose.

A vertical block of granite stone of standard size could fetch about Rs. 50,000 in the international market. Through mining, the district is affected with gaping holes because of continuous blasting of mines using explosives and splintering of stones in the surrounding agricultural land.

According to the research conducted by Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, the non-monetary value (in terms of contribution of ecology, production of oxygen, and habitat flora and fauna) of a tree was assessed at Rs. 1.52 lakh.

The forest in the district comprises Bandipur National Park, BRT sanctuary and Cauvery wildlife sanctuary.

Indiscriminate quarrying is causing groundwater deviation and pollution. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sanga (KRRS) and various other organisations have launched an agitation against illegal quarrying. Many complaints were lodged in district police stations against the bad impact of quarrying.

Quarry workers said that although quarrying at Koththalavadi had been stopped after the recent blast incident (in which six persons were killed), illegal quarrying was on. Deputy Director of Mines and Geology J.S. Sathish told The Hindu that there were 48 quarrying units operating in patta land after getting the court order and 42 units operating in government land in an area of over 300 acres of land in the district.

According to him, there was no illegal quarrying in the district.

He said it was impossible to run an illegal quarry as the sites had been identified by the owners of patta land and were protected by land owners.

He said Chamarajanagar district alone contributed Rs. 13 crore a month to the Government in the form of royalty from the quarries.

He said although the sand extraction was rampant in Kollegal taluk, steps had been taken to book those violating the law. The Forest Department officials have raised serious objections to quarry sites allowed close to the forests.

The Forest Department has listed 142 villages where quarrying has been restricted.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Interaction with art students
Reject strike call: Congress
Graduates in Forestry want jobs
More trains sought on Gadag-Solapur route
Illegal quarries causing havoc
Water more precious in the land of gold
Two companies keen on setting up steel plants in Gadag
Protest
Is Nanjangud losing its industrial buzz?
Diploma programme launched
Sand extraction leaves the Mahseer in troubled waters
VIP by bus

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu