Daijiworld Media Network – Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Feb 4: On the evening of Thursday February 3, Moodbidri tahsildar, K Muralidhar, raided a spot in Kallabettu Bangalapadav near here and found illegal laterite stone quarrying activity. He took into possession a few things used for quarrying, and also the licence of the truck used to transport laterite stones from the said quarry.

It is learnt that the land in which quarrying was going on, happens to be a government site sanctioned to Gopal from Moodukonaje village. Ashok from Moodbidri was conducting quarrying there, on the basis of a licence that expired in 2008. It is learnt that quarrying continued to be conducted there, even after the expiry of licence term.

It may be recalled that the tahsildar had issued directions for conducting thorough probe about illegal mines in the region, penalizing of illegal quarries found if any, and had asked the owners to obtain fresh licences for conducting quarrying activity, after three girls fell into water pits created at one such quarry in Beluvai village some time back, and lost their lives. Even thereafter, not much improvement has been noticed. The tahsildar had visited the above spot, after getting a complaint about the danger posed by the said quarry.