CUTTACK: Cuttack collector Arindam Dakua has prohibited the operation and transportation of minor minerals after 6 pm on Saturday until the accumulated road debris is cleared.
The move has been taken in view of the safety of road users as the spillover of the minerals from the transporting vehicles have been posing a serious risk to the commuters.
“It is observed that vehicles used for transporting minor minerals are neither covering the load of minor minerals nor carrying those in closed containers. Overflow of such minor minerals from overfilled containers keep accumulating on the roads and making a layer on the roads causing a lot of hazard for the pedestrians and commuters in smaller vehicles especially two-wheelers,” the order stated.
Despite repeated sensitisation, deputy director of mines and district mining officer Cuttack has failed to ensure that lessees use closed containers, cover the minor minerals during transportation, and clean up the accumulated materials on the roads. For the larger interest of public safety, operation and transportation of minor minerals has been prohibited after 6 pm on Saturday until the roads are cleared of accumulated minor minerals, it said.
“The roads will be considered to be clean and free from such accumulated minor minerals upon production of geo-tagged and time-stamped images and videos along with necessary certification from the concerned tehsildar,” the order added.