POST NEWS NETWORK
Khaira, Nov 28: Stone mafia carry out their illegal activities in Kupari area under Khaira tehsil in Balasore district, even as the administration is allegedly not acting against them.
Rampant quarrying of laterite stones, granite, murram and other minor minerals has caused a huge loss of revenue to the state exchequer.
Significantly, the area where such illegal quarrying has been taking place has been declared an elephant corridor. The forest department is expected to prevent such activities, which poses perils to the elephants.
Locals complained that neither the tehsil nor the forest department officials have taken action against the mafia in the last four months.
Sources said unauthorised excavation of minor minerals is being carried out in 109 quarries in the area. The forested and hilly area has been pockmarked with huge craters and hollows while vegetation has been denuded. Truckloads of stones, and murram are being transported from the area on a daily basis.
Locals observe if such things are allowed to linger, the area will be completely denuded of its flora and be replete with massive hollows, which will pose threat to man and animal.
Recently, mafia have freshly started quarrying murram and laterite on a patch of government land, but the officials allegedly look the other way or keep quiet after receiving regular cuts from the mafia, locals allleged.
Not only that, stone mafia have also set their eyes on the farmlands of people in Guapala and Mundahata.
Quarrying activities had been halted for some time, but started again Thursday night. Locals said the mafia have excavated over one thousand truckloads of laterite stones from a patch of government and nearby farmlands with help of poclain machines.
Surprisingly, the mafia had vanished along with the excavating machines from the scene before the tehsil officials reached there.
Many farmers claimed the mafia have struck a deal of Rs 1 crore with the administration to carry out such overnight quarrying for one month.
If this is allowed to go on, then hectares of farmland will be in bad shape, farmers Niranjan Jena, Udaya Jena and Rama Jena alleged.
Sub-collector Ramchandra Palta said he would talk to tehsildar Devi Prasad Mohanty in this regard.
Soro forest ranger said he would send officials to conduct a probe into the incident and take action accordingly. PNN