The Mandya district administration has seized explosives and detained vehicles in different parts of the district as part of a crackdown against illegal quarrying, carried out in the wake of the recent blast in Shivamogga.
Residents of many parts of Mandya, particularly Baby Betta, situated close to the Krishnaraja Sagar, had voiced concerns over the illegal quarrying in the area. The stone-crushing units in different parts of Mandya supply stones used in construction activity in not only Mandya, but also Mysuru district.
Officials of the taluk administration, including those from the Department of Mines and Geology, besides the police, are keeping an eye on the mining activity in the district to check illegal quarrying.
After Deputy Commissioner M.V. Venkatesh visited Baby Betta on Friday, teams of taluk administration officials and the police inspected illegal stone crushers in different parts of Nagamangala and Srirangapatna on Saturday.
While a few vehicles had been seized in Baby Betta during a recent raid, Parashurama K., Superintendent of Police of Mandya, said the police had seized explosives in two places in the district — in Arakere police station limits of Srirangapatna and in Bellur police station limits in Nagamangala taluk.
While 350 detonators were seized in Arakere, 16 gelatin sticks and 18 detonators were recovered from Bellur. The inspection of stone-crushing units across the district will continue in the coming days, he added.
‘A big warning’
Sumalatha, MP for Mandya, said she would continue her efforts till illegal mining activity was stopped completely. Following the blast in Shivamogga, Ms. Sumalatha tweeted that the incident should serve as a “big warning” for Mandya too.
“Most times it is unfortunately done in connivance with local politicians and a few corrupt government authorities. I urge the government to take immediate action and give strict instructions to all district administration officials to take action against all illegal mining activities,” she tweeted.
