Nayagarh: The revenue department has leased out three laterite quarries in Nayagarh district, but such stone and murram are being mined over 2,000 illegal mines in the district. Owing to large-scale loot of laterite, the state government is losing crores of rupees toward revenue, a report said.
According to reports, mafia has been raking in moolahs from rampant laterite mining while the revenue and the forest departments are sitting pretty.
Ranpur and Odagaon tehsils have the highest number of murram and laterite quarries.
Wanton mining of the minor minerals has created massive craters and pits that are posing dangers to domestic animals, and humans.
Over last four years, 17 people have died in mines while 22 domestic animals have lost their lives.
Three laterite mines were leased out in Ranpur tehsil. This was revealed through an RTI query replied by the regional office of the state pollution control board in Berhampur. 24 hectares at Krushnaprasad, 1.62 hectares at Mayurjhalia and 40 hectares at Chochojaha were leased out.
No leaseholders have got environmental clearance for the mining in the district while mafia has been carrying out extraction of laterite and murram with impunity, it was learnt.
An unofficial survey said over 600 illegal laterite and murram nines are being operated at Chandpur, Kandhanuagada, Jhinkijhari, Mahurjhalia, Champagada, Jharpada and Patia,
Besides, over 200 such illegal mines are being operated in Ranpur tehsil area.
Furthermore, mafia has been plundering minor minerals from over 400 places in Komanda, Bhagabatiprasad, Rohibanka and Udaypur under Odagaon tehsils.
Most of these mines are on pastureland, government land, forest land and private land.
Locals alleged that police and revenue officials are deliberately keeping mum over mining.
Inaction by the administration has exposed the mafia-official nexus in the matter of mineral plundering in Nayagarh.
Raids are being carried out at different times, but officials inform the mafia before the raids. There has been no evidence found at the quarries during the raids. Locals have drawn attention of the tehsil officials towards illegal mining in the past, but to no avail.
Sub-collector Lagnajit Rout said raids will be intensified after Diwali. The administration has been carrying out raids and seizures in mines, he asserted.
PNN