Even as the cash-strapped State government is mulling declaring the granite-rich Chimakurthy, near here, as a ‘mining zone’ to mop up additional revenue, resentment is brewing among people living in and around the town, who say that unhindered mining activities would spell doom for public health.
Irrespective of their political affiliations, people from Chimakurthy, Bodavada, Ramatheertham, R.L.Puram and Marichettupalem have decided to oppose the move tooth and nail.
“We are already suffering owing to air pollution, thanks to the unabated mining activity in our surroundings,” said Ramanaiah, a local TDP leader. Reiterating the same CPI (M) district secretary P. Anjaneyulu said that the residents here feared a disaster, if the proposal was implemented. “Already people are suffering from ailments owing to over-exploitation of the natural resource by private players, leading to water and air pollution,” adds CPI (M) Chimakurthy division Secretary P. Venkata Rao.
Now, heavy vehicles carrying the mining loads pass through the thickly-populated areas in the town everyday and it is substantially contributing to pollution, a group of people from the area told The Hindu .
Further, plans are afoot diversion of the Ongole-Nandyal State Highway by at least 50 metres on a four km stretch in Chimakurthy to exploit the more than 8,40,000 cubic metre granite wealth underneath the highway in more than 44 hectares, Mining Department sources said.
The villagers fear that the move, if gets the government nod, would close the way to the famous Siva temple at Ramatheertham. “Even if there is gold below the highway, we will not allow it to be mined,” said YSRC MLA A. Suresh.
Former TDP S.N.Padu constituency in-charge Mannam Sridhar said that the government should release a white paper on the mining activities that have been carried out here so far. However, Galaxy Granite Owners’ Association (GGOA) general secretary M.A. Azeem said: “As part of our corporate social responsibility, we are contributing our mite to improve the green cover in the region.”
