Jajpur: Illegal crusher units and stone quarries in Dharmasala tehsil of this district have become money spinners for politicians as the 2019 general elections draw near, a report said.
Illegal crushers and quarries are mushrooming in the area with the help of revenue and forest officials. These units are supplying political leaders with money required to meet election expenses.
Things have come to such a pass that even standing orders of the National Green Tribunal and the Orissa High Court are not being enforced during the establishment of crusher units and stone quarries.
Revenue and forest officials who have been tasked to check irregularities are helping in the revenue loot by filing false reports, it was alleged. The effects of the illegal stone quarries are quite visible in the Dharmasala Assembly segment where crusher units have increased to 500 from 300 in 2016.
Locals said that an influential political leader is behind these illegal units. Forty mega crusher units function in Dankari, Rahadpur and Kusumpur foothills alone.
These units are operating without environmental clearance from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB). Their owners are so influential that raids by the OSPCB and the district administration in July 2017 failed to yield any results.
A notification to raid the illegal crusher units in Darpan, Dharmasala and Danagadi tehsils was issued June 22, 2015 following cases (WPC-9101/2009) in the Orissa High Court and at the National Human Rights Commission (case no-134-18/5/0708/OC).
Raids were carried out and over 147 small crusher units were closed by disconnecting their power supply. However, mega crusher units like Aruni, RKD, Simplex, Madhav, Garuda, ARSS, Nagarjun, Rocksand, Joda, Tapti, Godgaon, Konark, Jain, Amit and South East escaped.
Later, the administration expressing concern over the livelihood of the labourers promised to allow the sealed crusher units to function by setting them up in four clusters. Then Collector Satya Kumar Mallick even announced at a meeting that land would be provided through IDCO for setting up the clusters.
He said that steps will be taken to ensure that the crusher units do not contribute to pollution. It was even announced that the crusher units should not be established within 500 meters of educational institutions, human habitats, hospitals and offices, and they should be located at a distance of 200 meters from national and state highways.
Parties interested in establishing crusher units in clusters should apply to the Collector through the District Industries Centre within seven days of the notification. Their applications will be verified and sent to IDCO for providing land for establishment of clusters.
The Collector even directed the tehsildars to conduct a probe and report to him. Base on the report, the administration will recommend to the government to allow the crusher units to function again if they are found abiding by guidelines. However, the sealed crusher units were found operating again in violation of the Collector’s order.
Sub-collector Narayan Chandra Dhal said illegal crusher units are being raided regularly.
PNN
