Khaira: The Balasore Revenue department adopted an unique and alternative method to put an end to illegal mining activities including blasting and transportation of minerals at Sarisua hills under Khaira tehsil limits of the district. Giving a huge blow to the mafias, it dug trenches Sunday on access roads to the hill.
Prior to digging the trenches, the local administration shifted previously stacked minerals from different illegal mines on Sarisua foothill to a temporary yard at Handiahata. The minerals will be later auctioned, a senior revenue official informed.
This act of the administration has widely been praised by many local residents. The trenches will not only facilitate convenient movement of elephants but also curb smuggling of minerals, they opined.
Trench digging work was carried out under active supervision of senior officials Khaira tehsildar Mahendra Kumar Behera, additional tehsildar Sandip Dhal, revenue Inspector Chandra Sekhar Panda with the help of Khaira police.
It is pertinent to mention, around 97 mines come in the way of an elephant corridor at Sarisua hill. After realising this, National Green Tribunal had issued a stay order on illegal mining in 2019.
Even then, local mineral fc minerals unabated and transported those in hundreds of trucks to outside the state via Baripada-Kaptipada in Mayurbhanj district.
Some unscrupulous subordinate employees of Revenue department have unholy nexus with mineral mafias. As a result, the mafias manage to escape from the spot, much before raid teams reach.
Few of the mafias carried out massive transportation of the minerals in last three years. Despite imposition of Section 144 in the Sarisua hill, illegal mining was going on rampantly.
PNN
