Yashodhara Bangera
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (RJP)
Mangaluru, Oct 7: In a big relief to the people of Kadandale, Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner has cancelled the mining licence of Poabsons Rock Mines, a demand that had been pending from the last two years.
Abram Jacob from Kerala had come to Kadandale about 20 years ago to start black stone quarry for which be bought 6 acres of land. After that he was accused of encroaching 20 acres of government land for the mining purpose. When the villagers faced various problems due to the mining, they started protesting in 2013. K P Santosh Shetty and Chandrashekar Devadiga met chief minister Siddaramaiah on behalf of the villagers and presented a 12-point petition against the company. They requested the CM to order investigation and take necessary action against the quarry.
The petition mentioned that the company had permission to mine in only in 0.95 acres of land but it had encroached 20 acres belonging to the government for unauthorized mining and the crushed stones which joined the streams and ponds blocked them and also affected the river Shambhavi.
The petition also accused the company of sending fluid generated through the explosion to the lands nearby and thereby affecting their fertility, destroying the hills by constructing a road using JCB earthmover and causing sound pollution through explosions.
The petition also talked about the damages done to the walls of the houses in the village and the fear created in the minds of people and the damage done to the environment.
At the same time, K P Santosh Shetty, Chandrashekar Devadiga , Skanda Prasad Bhat, Leeladhar Poojary, Harish Amin and others continued their protest and fight against the quarry. Esha Vittaldas Swamiji from Kemmaru Math also supported the fight.
The CM had directed the commerce and industry department to submit a report on the mining activities. The deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada with the officials of zoology and mines department officials visited the site in 2013 and inspected the operations of the company.
Based on the report submitted by additional deputy commissioner K A Dayanand and Mangaluru tahasildar Mohan Rao, the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada has sent a directive cancelling the mining licence for Poabs Rock mines.
The protestors have demanded that action should be taken against the company for erecting compound wall around the mining area by closing the flat land and for not following the mining rules. They have also demanded that the government should seize the crushed stones and powders lying around in the area worth Rs 5 crore.