A team of officials from the Mines and Geology, Revenue and Police departments raided a stone quarry that was allegedly functioning illegally in a dense forest area adjacent to the pick-up dam of Varahi hydel power project, near Mastikatte-Halagunda village in Nidagod Gram Panchayat limits.
Rashmi, senior geologist in the Department of Mines and Geology, said that during the raid it was confirmed that the quarry was operating illegally. The department had sanctioned one Ravindra to conduct quarrying on two acres of private land here from 2008 to 2013. However, his request for renewal of permission was not considered as the quarry is located in a dense forest region, she said.
Moreover, the place where the quarry is located falls under an Ecological Sensitive Area, as per the report of the committee headed by K. Kasturirangan on conservation of the Western Ghats. Owing to all this, the Revenue and Forest departments had also not given the no-objection certificate necessary for renewal of permission for quarrying, she said.
However, during the raid it was found that the quarry was operating anyway. Jyothi, junior geologist in the department, has lodged a complaint against Ravindra with the Nagara police in this connection. Based on the complaint, the police have booked him under the Karnataka Mines and Minerals Rules, the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, and Section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code.
