Illegal quarries operating all over Karkala, alleges taluk panchayat member

R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (EP)

Karkala, Jan 18: "Illegal stone quarries are operating all over Karkala taluk right in the presence of Udupi deputy commissioner, department of geology, officials of pollution control board and officials of the forest department. It is necessary for the government to wake up and take action," said Xavier D’ Mello, member of taluk panchayat.

He was speaking at a press meet held at a hotel in the city on Friday, January 17.

Revealing the information obtained by him under Right to Information Act, he said, "There are 189 red stone and building stone quarries in the taluk. Only eleven quarries among them are on lease and all the remaining quarries are functioning illegally. Besides that, the legal quarries functioning now are in deemed forest area.

"However the illegal quarries are functioning without hindrance. Even though land resources are being robbed on such a massive scale, neither the taluk administration nor the district administration has taken any action against it. The department of geology is working for the quarries," he said.

“Nandalike survey number 116 of Belman, number 31p2 and 133 of Sooda gram have ten quarries. All the quarries in the three survey numbers are in deemed forest area. Stones weighing 2,500 tons are being supplied from these quarries to Navayug Company on a daily basis.

"The department of mines has ordered to stop mining of several mines coming under the survey numbers stating that they come under the area of deemed forests. They have also passed on the information to area tahsildar and police for action. However, why is it that the rules have not been applied to other quarries?," he asked.

"The stone quarries in Kalya have once again been allowed to function. However, no permission is given to use explosives but explosives are piled up near it," he said.

"The Karnataka high court had ordered for suspension of all crushers on July 31, 2013. That order is also not being implemented. The irresponsibility of the officials is to be blamed for it. The case will be taken up to the high court," he said.

“Quarrying is now being allowed in Hosmar also. This indicates the discriminatory policy of the officials and we will be meeting the chief minister to urge him to ban quarries in the area that are bring loss to the government and to take action against guilty officials," he said.

Udupi block Congress vice-president Aveline R Louis urged to stop illegal quarrying. “Though we are not against legal quarries, we will be fighting against illegal ones," he said.

Block Congress organizing secretary Vivekananda Shenoy, taluk panchayat member Sujit Shetty and Vandana Kuntalpady were present.