The government has revoked the permit accorded to Stone Plus company for mining granite from the reserve forest and the catchment area of the Kalyanapulova reservoir in Visakhapatnam district.
The decision was taken in response to the demands of tribal people and farmers of Cheemalapadu village in Ravikamatam mandal, announced Joint Collector Venugopal Reddy late on Monday night. The tribal people and the farmers have been agitating since months, demanding the revocation of the mining permit, alleging that it was causing damage to the reserve forest and the catchment area of the reservoir.
Tribal people, farmers and the members of All India Agricultural Rural Labour Association (AIARLA) and Save Kalyanapulova Movement urged the government to revoke the licence issued to Sai Kapil company too, saying that the mining area adjoins the primary school at Z. Jogumpeta village, which also falls in the catchment area.
“Both the mining companies have been mining granites from the hills adjoining the reservoir catchment area that has been declared a reserve forest by the Forest Department,” said P.S. Ajay Kumar of the AIARLA.
‘Drop cases against tribals’
He demanded that the reservoir area be declared as a ‘no mining zones’ and cases registered by the Kotakotha police against the tribal people of Kalyanapulova, who took up the agitation, be dropped.
Officials blamed
“Criminal cases should be registered against the officers of the land survey and land records department who allegedly created fake revenue survey numbers in Somalamma Konda hill to mislead the administration,” said Mr. Ajay Kumar.
Foundation stone for Kalyanapulova reservoir was laid some 40 years ago and it has been catering to the irrigation needs of the farmers from 10 panchayatas in Ravikamatham mandal, covering over 5,000 acres.
Irrigation source
Mining permits have been issued in the reservoir catchment area since 2016, and farmers and tribal people have been sending petitions to the irrigation and mining departments, seeking cancellation of the leases from 2017.
Stone Plus company has been mining granite from the reserve forest areas of Somalamma Hill and dumping the waste along the hillsides.
In May this year, the Forest Department halted the mining activities and confiscated the machinery and the granite mined from the area.
The tribal people opposed when the mining company tried to move the confiscated material last month, without obtaining the required permits.
Criminal cases were registered against tribal people who objected to it. However, they continued the agitation. The authorities concerned took note of it and the mining leases were revoked after an inquiry, added Mr. Ajay Kumar.
