Hundreds of farmers from Kottakota of Ravikamatam mandal took part in a protest rally in the village on Saturday to press for immediate action against granite stone mining in the catchment area of Kalyanapulova Reservoir.
Addressing the protestors, ‘Save Kalyanapulova Movement’ P.S. Ajaykumar questioned the motives behind not releasing the public hearing report organised by RDO, Narsipatnam in Z. Kottapatnam village on July 18. He said that delay in releasing the report was giving scope for suspicion among the farmers and adivasis affected by illegal mining.
He said the mining mafia, colluding with the officials, were continuing illegal mining despite promises by the authorities to stop it.
The protesters decried the delay in taking action against mining and alleged that mining in the catchment area was continuing unabated in spite of large-scale opposition, both from the farmers of the catchment area and adivasis, who were living in the vicinity of the mining site.
Desilting works
The protesters also demanded the immediate stoppage of illegal mining licences and taking up desilting works in the reservoir. Granite mining in the catchment area had led to led to groundwater contamination, social activist and former IAS officer E.A.S. Sarma and Human Rights Forum general secretary V.S. Krishna alleged in representations sent to the government earlier.
