Rehabilitation a forgotten effort in Tumakuru, Chitradurga Ballari districts

CHITRADURGA: Environmental degradation and the subsequent health hazards are some of the key issues that have neither been discussed nor understood the districts of Tumakuru, Chitradurga and Ballari. Mine owners and illegal mine extractors have happily over-exploited this iron ore-rich region, ignoring all guidelines fixed by the government.

During 2008-12, illegal mining was at its peak in the region. Many politicians and industrialists allegedly joined hands in extracting this black gold and exported it to countries like China and made big money. And this was all done at the cost of the environment and its repercussions are still being felt by the people in the mining-ravaged areas.

Even though the apex court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommended that mine owners should make necessary changes and take up works to improve the environment, it was neither completed nor taken up. Now the results are there for everybody to see - with the havoc caused to both the habitat and its inhabitants.

Majority of the mines in Chitradurga (Holalkere, Hosadurga and Chitradurga), Tumakuru and Ballari come under either ‘C’ or ‘B’, category. Hence, fines were imposed on them and were re-auctioned.

The CEC also recommended the setting-up of district mining fund and a special purpose vehicle for improvement of health infrastructure, education, railways, employment generation activities and more. However, even after accumulation of hundreds of crores, it remains unutilised. Lack of political will is said to be the reason for non-utilisation of these funds.

Direct Rail Link

The Tumakuru-Davangere direct rail link project has been in the pipeline for several decades now. Once it takes off, it will reduce the travel time between Hubballi and Bengaluru and pave the way for economic development, setting up of new industries, easy and affordable movement of goods. Shafi Ahmed of Railway Line Struggle Committee says, “The government should speedily implement the rail line project to improve the living conditions of people  of  Chitradurga.”