Shivamogga: The Shivamogga Tahsildar B N Girish and his team have successfully cracked the case of illegal quarrying in the city and seized the materials used for the activity.
The people here had complained of illegal quarrying in Gajjenahalli, Devakaathikoppa and other places, following which the places were raided and sealed before the elections. However, illegal quarrying resumed as soon as the election started. A team of Tahsildar Girish, Village Accountant Prabhakar M A, Maharudra A B and Halesh H M on a tip-off, raided the illegal quarry in the land of T Sugandhi Dhoreswamy Modhaliyar, under the survey number 76/01, in Gajjenahalli village. Raghu, Manju, Shekar Swamy and others have been booked for illegal quarrying. The team which went to the spot in disguise have seized 2 tractors and a JCB.
“Action should be taken against illegal quarries and stone crushers in the district’s Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary. A petition has been filed against the authorities concerned for granting permission for quarrying and stone crushing activities in Devakaathikoppa, Gajjenahalli, Kalluganguru, Soolebail, Sogena, Puradhal and many other places. The Department of Mines and Geology and all the other departments concerned have violated the rules and given permission for quarrying within 10 kms of Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary. The villagers around the wildlife sanctuary are suffering from air and noise pollution, and also facing health issues,” said advocate for the applicant, G R Mohan.
The case will be heard on May 25, after the summer vacation. The MESCOM has stopped supply of electricity to around 40 illegal quarries in the outskirts of Shivamogga, after the issue was published in the news papers. However, the owners of the quarries are still continuing their activities with the help of generators.
