Kundapur: Villagers raise voice against illegal stone quarries

Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Apr 4: Acting on a complaint filed by Sri Mahishamardini Yuvaka Mandala in Bagwadi village in the taluk, the tahsildar conducted inspection of stone quarries in that village on Wednesday April 3. The Mandala had complained that the villagers are facing lot of problems and are unable to lead normal lives because of the illegal and unscientific stone quarrying being conducted in the government land there since the last five years.

The villagers held their third protest against the stone quarries on Wednesday. “Due to the incessant transport of stone blocks from here, the gram panchayat road has become useless. Out of about 200 families living in Bagwadi Atrady in Vandse revenue division in the taluk, about 30 families are facing the prospects of total decimation because of illegal quarries, unregulated use of explosives, and transport of stone blocks,” they said.

They claimed that the department concerned had illegally leased out land in the village for stone quarrying, and reminded her of their constant opposition to stone quarries, crushers, and blasts, and asked her to put a stop to all these activities forthwith. They said repeated reports from the village accountant, and requests by the village residents to the department have fallen on deaf ears, and expressed the suspicion that the department is hand in glove with the lessees of the said land, and asked the tahsildar to conduct a thorough inquiry in these deals.

Tahsildar, Gayatri, who pacified the protesters, noted that the area has been identified as safer zone. “After activities in stone quarries all over the state were suspended, various works and construction activity were adversely affected. The stone quarry operators and people engaged in construction have procured a stay order from the court. We have to abide by the court order. Already an order not to issue fresh licences for granite and stone quarrying has been issued, and we would be able to exercise our power at the time of lease renewal,” she explained.

Revenue officer of the division, Shankar Shetty, deputy tahsildar, Koraga Billawa, village accountant, Vighnesh Upadhyaya, gram panchayat development officer, Rangayya Shetty of the department of geology and mines, and junior engineer, Nanda, were present during the tahsildar’s visit. Members of the above Mandala and local citizens participated in the protest.

A local, Radhakrishna Ganiga, said that earlier protests on the subject had failed to make any impact, and that the concerned had succeeded in procuring false documents to get stay order vacated. He said against norms, blasts are conducted every evening, and the road remains blocked between 5 and 6.30 pm.

Another resident, Shankarnarayana Bhat, who also happens to be the priest of the local temple, said that because of quarrying activities being conducted in the close proximity of houses and temple, road gets blocked and walls of houses have been developing cracks. He added that health fondition of the people also is deteriorating because of the quarries.

Sharada M, a volunteer, explained that the people of the village have contracted diseases like tuberculosis, asthma, elephantiasis, and stomach upsets because of the dust and dirt, apart from other health hazards, kicked up by the quarries. She said that various visits to the officials and district health centre have failed to yield any positive results, and that the migrant labour employed by quarry owners suffer from shortage of drinking water. She pointed out that these labourers defecate by the roadsides, and live in unhygienic conditions, giving rise to further health concerns.