BHUBANESWAR: Illegal mining of metals, chips and laterite and an open looting spree by the mafia are fast denuding several blocks of Dhenkanal district but the administration is yet to open its eyes to an evolving problem with severe consequences.
Hindol and Odapada tehsils of Dhenkanal district are blessed with huge resources of charnockite rocks, used for making boulders and chips for road and building materials.
Hundreds of quarries are operating in this area, which cater to a proportionate number of stone crushers.
Active quarrying of charnockitic rocks are seen mostly in Tarkaberha, Asararha, Barsingha, Thokar, Balimi, Kukuta, Karanda, Bedaparha, Ghodadian, Babandha and Bachhuribanka villages of Hindol and Odapada tehsils.
The quarries are clustered in four prominent belts, Asarada-Badasingha, Karanda-Sidheswarpur, Bedaparha-Ghodadian and Babandha-Bachhuribanka villages.
Some of the quarries go to a depth of more than 50 metre below ground level.
In one of the quarries near Ladagad, close to Lord Siddheswar temple, huge blocks of granite are being mined.
Upon enquiry in the office of Deputy Director Mines (DDM), Talcher, it was found that there is no mining lease in operation at the place concerned.
Huge pile of granite blocks were found near the quarries as local villagers obstructed the transportation of these blocks, said sources in the Revenue Department.
Mining of minor minerals is regulated under Odisha Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2016.
Tehsildars are the competent authority to grant lease through auction process.
The lessees are required to submit mining plan for approval from the Directorate of Mines. Besides, they need clearance from Forest and Environment Department.
Most of the stone quarries and crushers are operating without any permission from authorities concerned.
They neither have official permission nor follow basic mining and environmental norms.
“Almost all the quarries operating in the area use explosives without license for blasting as these rocks are very hard. It is not clear from where they get such huge quantity of explosives without any license,” the sources said.
While mechanised methods are followed for quarrying and transportation of the rocks by using rock breakers, excavators and dumpers, the local administration is oblivious to this illegal trade.
Rampant quarrying and crushing have been causing serious pollution in the area by pumping dust and smoke into the air.
The Odisha State Pollution Board is not taking any action against these polluters.
The mining mafia has not even spared river banks, where they carry out quarrying of the mineral thereby degrading the water quality.
River Badajor passing through the area is the worst victim of such illegal quarrying.
Illegal mining is not limited to the chips and metals only.
There is also widespread clandestine mining of laterite slabs going on in the area around Banamalipur, Babandh and Brajanathpur villages.
Laterite is being mined over about 1 sq km area near Balarampur in Odapada Tehsil.
There are more than 20 quarries like this in a cluster, the deepest one going up to a depth of about 25 metre.