Pic: Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Mar 20: Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Quarry Owners’ Association urged the government to immediately revoke the ban on quarrying and allow to resume normal operations without further delay.
Addressing media here on Friday March 19, association president Manoj Shetty said, “Following the tragic incident in Shivamogga and Chikkaballapur recently where a few people died in explosions, the entire quarry industry of Karnataka has fallen into deep distress. The state government has ordered all licensed quarry operators to immediately suspend all quarrying activities and it has imposed impractical terms and conditions for restarting the operations. Presently, there are about 190 licensed quarries operating in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts providing direct employment to about 6,000 workers and indirect employment to thousands of other people. After the blasts in Shivamogga and Chikkaballapur, the licensed quarry owners are being unnecessarily harassed and subjected to harsh treatment by various government departments and the police while neglecting the root cause of the problem, which lies in the rampant illegal quarrying activities which is widespread in the state.
“The DGMS conditions are suitable for big quarries and the tough conditions says to appoint mining engineer to each quarries, we have 190 licenced quarries but only 10 mining engineers in twin districts.
“The affected licensed quarries are mainly engaged in the production of construction stones, which are a basic raw material for the construction industry of the region. As the quarrying activities are paralyzed for the last 10 days, this will have huge negative impact on the local economy and bring construction activity to a standstill. Hence, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Quarry Owners’ Association appeals to the state government to immediately allow restart of quarrying in the state.
“All licensed quarry operators are already required to strictly abide by the environmental laws and safety regulations. Quarry owners of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts have an excellent track record of compliance with the laws and there have been no widespread violations till date. Hence, there is no reason for the government to suspend the quarrying activities and disrupt the livelihood of large number of people.
“The present suspension of quarrying activities in the state is a panic response of the state government to this recent accident at Shivamogga and Chikkaballapur. The new terms and conditions imposed by the state are impractical and confusing. The unfortunate accident leading to this situation should be investigated thoroughly and the quarry industry assures total compliance with any new safety regulations if required. Hence, we urge the government to immediately withdraw the ban orders on quarrying and allow us to resume normal operations without delay.
“Presently, the quarry owners of Karnataka are operating under license issued by the state government and it is governed by KMMCR Act. The Mines and Geology Department has stopped issuing Mineral Dispatch Permits (MDPs) to the quarry owners without assigning any reasons. On further enquiry it was found that the quarry owners have been directed to seek permission from the Director General of Mines Safety (DGMS), which is a central government authority, for using explosive within quarry.
“This has led to a confusing situation and there is lack of legal clarity on the matter due to the conflicting positions and difference in interpretation of various central and state laws. The DGMS mainly deals with large industrial mining activities, whereas local quarrying is undertaken by small operators within land extent of less than five acres. As per DGMS rules, it has no authority to deal with small operations falling below 2.5 acres of land. Whereas Section 30 of the MMDR Act of the central government clearly stipulates that state governments are empowered to regulate and formulate rules for minor minerals. There is no mention of obtaining DGMS license in the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1994.
“Further, when this anomaly was pointed out in the high level meeting held recently in the presence of Minister for Mines, Murgesh Nirani, chief whip of Karnataka Sunil Kumar and various MLAs from two districts along with additional chief secretary Kumar Naik, director mines Ramesh, the officials of the department of Mines and Geology, they were not in a position to point out the relevant act through which such an order was passed. But they still demanded that the quarry owners submit an affidavit undertaking to furnish DGMS permission within two months as a precondition to withdraw its ban on quarrying. This demand is illogical and impractical and it sidesteps the state government's responsibility to allow legitimate quarrying by the operators under the license already issued by it. The present blanket ban is entirely unwarranted and it should be withdrawn without further delay. Furthermore, the state government should bring clarity to this grey area in the law by making necessary changes in the rules to specifically exempt small quarry owners holding five acres or less from securing permission from DGMS,” he said.
Vice president Ravindra Shetty, secretary Mohan Amin and treasurer Saju Neeliyara were present.