Kaptipada: Illegal murram mining has been rampant in various parts of Kaptipada block in Mayurbhanj district while over a hundred illegal murram mines are operating around the Similipal sanctuary, a report said.
As infrastructure development has been in full swing, minor minerals like murram have high demand. The mafia has been looting the minor mineral day and night by engaging tractors and trucks.
However, the administration has failed to contain the illegal activities, locals alleged.
It is said that the places where murram mining is being carried out are under the forest and revenue departments.
Wanton extraction of murram has posed serious threat to the forest.
Due to the illegal quarrying, the government has been losing lakhs of rupees towards revenue.
Huge craters created after the mineral extraction have been posing threat to humans as well as wild and domestic animals.
Three months ago, the mafia looted a huge quantity of murram in an open place in Pingu panchayat and now they have set sight on a place near a primary school.
Some locals opposed this and managed to capture a tractor of the mafia. This led to tension in the area. The villagers have demanded immediate action against the mafia.
Locals said that murram was quarried from forest land. They demanded that the Collector and the Sub-collector should visit the place and taken action against the illegal mining around the sanctuary.
Kaptipada ranger Maheswar Singh said an investigation will be launched and action will be taken in this direction.
Tehsildar Laxmidhar Nayak said penalty will be imposed on vehicles engaged in illegal mining.
PNN
