Crackdown on illegal stone quarries

JAJPUR: Cracking down on illegal mining in areas under Dharmasala tehsil, the district administration clamped prohibitory orders in two of the 10 quarries on Rahadpur hillock on Tuesday. 
Dharmasala Tehsildar Saroj Kumar Panda accompanied by local police and revenue officials sealed and closed two black stone quarries by installing red flags around them. Besides, another quarry, which was closed by the tehsil office earlier, was also sealed.

The crackdown came in the wake of reports of rampant illegal mining activities in officially closed quarries on Rahadpur hillock appeared in the local media. “We clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC at quarries 6 and 10 on Rahadpur hillock to check illegal mining activities. The two black stone quarries were officially closed last year,” said Panda. The administration demarcated all the three quarries and sealed them by installing red flags. 

The Tehsildar said following the media reports of illegal mining in closed quarries, he had asked the local police to inquire into the matter. The report submitted by the cops revealed that the allegation was true, he said. 

Those accompanying Panda included Additional Tehsildar Debi Prasad Mohanty, Jenapur IIC Susant Kumar Das and the local Revenue Inspector.

The move of the administration came after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the State Government to check illegal extraction of minor mineral resources from the hills under Dharmasala tehsil.
Last year, the district administration had launched a similar crackdown on illegal mining of minor minerals and conducted raids at Dankari hillock under Dharmasala block.