Angul: Illegal earth mining from a five-acre land at Kushasingha earmarked for Angul Municipality’s dumping yard is going on unabated, locals have said.
Banarpal tehsil had given this five-acre land to Angul Municipality for setting up a dumping yard. Subsequently, the land document was also transferred to the municipality. The civic body had also started work on the dumping yard. However, boundary wall construction was opposed by villagers and the work had to be left midway.
After the work stopped, mafias are allegedly mining and transporting earth from this area at night. They are also carrying away the deposited sand and stone chips, locals alleged.
Such illegal lifting of earth using earth movers has been going on for the last 15 days, resulting in a knee-deep crater. Yet, neither the municipality nor the tehsil have done anything to contain it. The police also claimed to be clueless about this.
It is learnt that the mafias have dumped the illegally mined earth at a place in the Angul town.
“We will visit the spot to verify the veracity of the allegation. If it proven true, we will take up the matter with the administration and lodge a police case,” Angul Municipality executive officer Binod Chandra Panda said.
Banarpal tehsildar Jitendra Kumar Sahu said, “I am aware of such illegal activities. I had asked the additional tehsildar to probe the allegation. He is yet to submit his report. I will visit the spot to see for myself if earth is being mined from the plot and then future course of action would be decided.”
Despite several attempts, Angul police station inspector-in-charge Ramesh Chandra Bisoi could not be contacted for his reactions.