Illegal mining at Tangeni hillock riles villagers

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Khurda: Illegal stone quarrying at Tangeni hillock near Kaipadara is posing a grave threat to environment and locals.
According to sources, some influential people have been quarrying stone from Tangeni hillock, spread over 900 acres under Khurda tehsil for last several months even though the district administration has not leased out the mines to anyone.
It is learnt that the mining mafia usually use dynamites to blast the rocks which causes environmental pollution in Kaipadara and other nearby villages, alleged the locals.
According to the villagers, the mining mafia has deployed at least 100 armed youths at the hillock to frighten the villagers who often protest the illegal stone quarrying. “The armed youths, who are under the payroll of the mafia, used to guard the hillock round-the-clock,” said a villager.
Sources alleged the local police, district administration officials and a few police officials are hands in glove with people involved in the illegal quarrying.
The villagers claimed that at least six persons have lost their lives due to disputes over quarrying activities at the hillock in the last few years. “The hired goons of the mining mafia threaten the locals with bombs, firearms and sharp weapons whenever there is any protest against the illegal quarrying. The mining mafia has attacked Guna Jena, a villager, just a few days ago,” said a resident of Kaipadar.
The villagers have also claimed that the state government has been losing huge revenue due to the illegal quarrying at the hillock. “Huge quantities of stone are being transported to several places in the district through trucks and tractors. Police and tehsil officials are reluctant to take action against the people involved in the illegal quarrying,” said a social activist.
A group of villagers from Kaipadar has lodged complaints with the district Collector and superintendent of police urging them to take action against the mining mafia within a week. “We cannot tolerate illegal quarrying near Kaipadar. We will be forced to take the law into our hands if the administration fails to take action against the mining mafia,” said a villager.