Singareni Collieries Company mine blasts leave villagers near Telangana's Sathupalli town scared

While the blasts pose grave danger to their houses, the locals are also scared that the air they inhale contains harmful chemicals which are being used for explosions at these mines.
A woman shows the pieces of concrete that fell from the ceiling and walls of her house at Rajerla village. (Photo| EPS)
A woman shows the pieces of concrete that fell from the ceiling and walls of her house at Rajerla village. (Photo| EPS)

KHAMMAM: More than 5,000 families living in five villages near Sathupalli town in Khammam district have been reeling under the repercussions of high-intensity explosions at the open cast mines owned by Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) for quite some time now.

While the blasts pose grave danger to their houses, the locals are also scared that the air they inhale contains harmful chemicals which are being used for explosions at these mines.

According to local residents, the SCCL undertakes high-intensity blasting operations on a daily basis at its Open Cast Mines 2 and 3, which are situated close to Vengala Rao Nagar, Rajerla, NTR Nagar, Kistram and Viratnagar areas.

The residents of these areas allege that as a result, they have been facing respiratory problems and lung infections, apart from the high-frequency sound, which accompanies the explosion, impairing the hearing ability of many among them.

According to sources, around 1,200 of the total 2,800 houses situated in these five villages have either developed cracks or collapsed due to the explosions.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, SK Hussainbee, a resident of Vengala Rao Nagar who is currently undergoing treatment for nose infection, said: “It is not just that these high-intensity explosions cause damages to our houses, the lives of the locals are also in danger.”

Another woman named SK Johnbee told The New Indian Express that living near the SCCL mines has affected her hearing ability, as a result of which she has been undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, the locals now demand that the authorities concerned find permanent solution to their problems and relocate them to safer places.

When The New Indian Express spoke to SCCL Sathupalli open cast mines project officer S Venkatachary, he said that as per their request, the company has sanctioned Rs 2 crore to repair as many as 60 damaged houses.

In the meantime, he refuted allegations that several people in the area are suffering from various health issues due to the use of powerful explosives. "We do not use such materials to undertake blasting operations at any of our mines," he asserted and clarified that all such operations are being carried out as per norms.

Sattupalli MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah had raised the issue in the Assembly a few days ago, and had asked the State government to find a permanent solution to save the lives of people.

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