GUNTUR: Following a hike in number of accidents in mining quarries, Guntur district administration officials have identified as many as 150 quarries as dangerous—100 are in Guntur and 50 in Dachepalli region. The officials also served notices to the owners of the quarries who are violating the specified guidelines of the Mines and Geology department.
Collector Vivek Yadav has instructed the officials concerned to identify dangerous quarries in the district and take necessary action to prevent accidents. A mandal level panel comprising Mines and Geology official, a tahsildar, and an MPDO, was formed to identify dangerous pits, geotag them, and notify them as dangerous. The Collector instructed the officials to send the estimated cost to set up fencing around the pits and danger signboards near the pits.
No precautionary measures against accidents have been taken on the sites after mining is completed. In the monsoon, the rainwater gets accumulated in the pits which are more than six meters deep. The locals unaware of this enter the water for swimming and drown in them. It may be noted on July 11, four youth drowned in the deep waters of the Prathipadu quarry. On August 15, two children drowned in the quarry pit of Dachepalli.