VISAKHAPATNAM: Tribal residents of Komiri village in Madugula mandal have raised concerns over the impact of granite quarrying at Urlova on their agricultural land and demanded that their land rights be settled before permitting further mining activities.
A public hearing on the environmental clearance for a granite quarry was held at V.Jagannadhapuram village in Madugula on Thursday.
Narsipatnam RDO V.V. Ramana chaired the meeting, and an Executive Engineer from the Pollution Control Board attended. Twenty-seven people expressed their views at the hearing.
Following the meeting, tribal residents from Komiri carried placards and took out a padayatra from the village to V. Jagannadhapuram.
They raised slogans demanding that land titles be issued to them before allowing quarrying activities. The residents stated that they depend on forest resources and agriculture for their livelihood and alleged that dust and waste generated by granite quarrying at Urlova were affecting their cashew plantations and agricultural fields.
They claimed that quarry waste from the Urlova granite quarries had accumulated on tribal lands in the Komiri revenue limits, covering areas from Survey No. 1-1 to 30 sub-divisions.
According to them, they have submitted several representations to district authorities and local revenue and police officials, and inspections were conducted, but no effective action was taken. The tribals also sought restoration of their land records and issuance of pattadar passbooks.