Jajpur: A special squad of the district administration Tuesday sealed all illegal mining quarries on Rahadpur Hill in Dharmasala tehsil of this district.
Closure notices were issued to Quarry No. 6 and 10 on the hill and ban orders under Section 144 were clamped in the area.
The administration also dug up the road leading to the hill to prevent vehicles from transporting quarries. But the administration failed to seize the extracted stones, explosives, equipment and vehicles during the raid.
The quarry owners who were tipped off about the raid managed to shift the stones, explosives and vehicles from the site. Locals claimed that this happened due to the nexus between quarry owners and tehsil officials.
Earlier, similar crackdowns were carried out on Dankari Hill in the tehsil. Locals hailed the step taken by the district administration as the leaseholder enjoys enormous political and administrative clout.
Sources said a team of officials and a platoon of police led by Dharmasala Tehsildar (in-charge) Saroj Kumar Panda and Jenapur IIC Susant Kumar Das sealed quarries No. 6 and 10 on the hill.
The Tehsildar also marked the quarries by hoisting red flags. Although locals welcomed the raid they are sceptic about its outcome. They wondered how long the quarries will remain closed.
A demand notice for a penalty of Rs 58 crore for illegal mining at Dankari Hill from 2002 to 2017 is pending with the tehsil court.
The leaseholder managed to get a stay in the case by moving a higher court. The government did not get the Rs 58 crore as it failed to defend the case well.
The district administration now finds itself in a quandary after the National Green Tribunal asked the government to deposit Rs 25 crore as compensation for the illegal mining at Dankari Hill.
The district administration has failed to stop extraction of black stones from the mines or collect penalty from the miners.
The people now ask why the administration is hesitating to take similar steps against other illegal mines in the area which have not received environmental clearance or the sanction of residents during public hearings.
There are five illegal quarries on Rahadpur Hill, 12 at Bichhakhandi, five in Anjira, four on Barada Hill, five in Bajabati, three in Aruha and four at Lunibar under the tehsil.
Environmental clearance has not been issued to the quarries at Jabra, Kolha, Charigotha and Baghua Hills as the hills in Dalijoda forest areas and Balarampur reserve forests, but illegal mining continues at these places.
As per an estimate, black stones worth Rs 10 lakh are being smuggled daily from these mines. Reports say that illegal mining continues at Raiguda quarry on Jajpur- Dhenkanal border where stones are extracted through wagon blasting. Construction firm ARSS is reported to have engaged in illegal mining and transportation.
Tehsildar Panda said the administration is keeping a close watch on illegal quarries and steps would be taken against them.
PNN
