Post News Network
Jajpur, Oct 11: Rampant stone extraction through a process called wagon drilling on the Dankari and Nichanda hills in Mahisara panchayat under Dharmasala block has led to severe water contamination in the area, leading to scores of villagers suffering from kidney ailments as a result. Sources said around 20 people have reportedly lost their lives due to kidney-related ailments in the last four years.
The illegal stone extraction has reached menacing proportions in the area; residents say their houses tremble due to the impact of the mining while groundwater in a radius of 20 km is said to be unfit for consumption.
According to government regulations, wagon drilling is prohibited within a radius of 500m of human settlements.
However, quarry owners are throwing rules to the winds and have taken up large-scale wagon drilling with flagrant disregard for the ecological impact that it will cause. The intense drilling that continues throughout the day has resulted in frequent tremors in the villages and people spend their days in fear of their houses collapsing. The villagers say the administration has not taken heed of the issue despite repeated requests.
Sources said 20 persons have died of kidney ailments in the last four years while 15 more are battling the disease in the panchayat. The condition of five of them is stated to be critical as the affected persons have lost both their kidneys and are battling for their life.
The disease has spread its tentacles not only in Dankari but also in neighbouring Madhupurgad, Kukudakhali, Bhubanpur, Panturi, Ragadipasi, Chadheidhara, Paitara, Doulatpur, Gogarsara, Barada, Jhatiapada, Kurikana, Batijoda, Baramana, Badakamara, Sahanidiha, Antia, Kamagad, Bharatpur, Pachhukhundi, Ichhapur and Bedha villages in the vicinity.
The stone quarrying goes on unabated despite RWSS officials holding wagon drilling responsible for groundwater pollution. The officials squarely blamed the wagon drilling as the reason for the contamination of groundwater which was found to be totally unfit for consumption.
However, the district administration instead of taking action has turned a blind eye to the illegal activity on the Dankari and Nichanda hills where the wagon drilling is carried out in over 20 stone quarries. The stone smugglers dig up to depths of 200-300ft and put ammonia, potash and gunpowder in the pits and then use heavy drilling machines, the process of which is known as wagon drilling. The quarry owners flout all rules to extract stones and spend nearly Rs 40 lakh to extract over three lakh tonnes of stone.
The extracted stones are then crushed in 19 mega crusher units to make chips which are later sold on the construction market.
When contacted, mines officer Asit Kumar Behera said all these quarries were illegal and were flouting OMMCAR rules.
