BENGALURU: Issuing notice to the State Government, on a petition seeking directions to take steps to stop alleged illegal mining/quarrying at Sadahalli in Devanahalli taluk and the resulting pollution, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday told the government to ensure that no illegal mining is carried out in the area.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum passed the interim order after hearing a plea filed by Ramabadran Veera Raghavan and five others, including S Mariswamy, former DGP and Commissioner of Police, who are layout residents from Sadahalli Post.
The court also issued notice to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce and Industries, and Director and Commissioner of Mines and Geology. The petition was filed by residents after praying the court to stop licences from being given for quarry stone/granite mining in Sadahalli Bande, at Sadahalli and Chowdenahalli in Devanahalli taluk, surrounded on all sides by residential settlements, mostly occupied by retired senior citizens.
It was alleged that the quarrying posed health hazards, since it generates a large amount of dust that floats in the air and spreads over a radius of a few kilometers, thus leading to serious respiratory diseases. They added that this also posed a serious threat to the flights taking off and landing at the nearby Kempegowda International Airport.