Jajpur: In a bid to prevent illegal stone quarrying and mining activities, the Jajpur district administration Thursday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in black granite quarries at Aruha hillock under Dharmasala tehsil, officials said.
The district administration clamped the restrictions after allegations surfaced on operation of mines in Dharmasala tehsil jurisdiction without valid documents and environmental clearance.
The district authorities have also restricted the unauthorised movement of vehicles and entry of individuals to the Aruha hillock area without the permission of the concerned authorities.
Similarly, extraction of block stones, loading from the quarry has also been banned, officials said.
“We have directed the crusher owners to maintain a register of the vehicles engaged in the transportation of minor minerals. They have also been asked to install CCTV cameras on their unit premises so that the movement of vehicles can be monitored smoothly,” said Jajpur Collector Chakravarti Singh Rathore.
The lessees have been also directed to give prior intimation regarding the vehicles to be engaged in their respective units for transportation works, the Collector said.
Earlier the district administration had sealed around 200 illegal crusher units running illegally in Dharmasala tehsil area, he added. Many black stone quarries in the Dharmasala area are allegedly operating without the consent of the Forest Department and district authorities.
Earlier, several quarries were also sealed by the administration as the lessees had resorted to mining activities without obtaining green certificates.
The illegal quarries used to plunder natural resources and cause serious environmental pollution by unauthorised deep-hole blasting in black granite quarries for exploration.
The illegal mining activities also lead to depletion of groundwater level in many nearby villages, causing risk to the human settlement in them, officials said.
PNN
