Team Herald
PANJIM: The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has written to the District Collectors and police to crackdown on illegal activities of sand extraction and stone quarrying across State and to ensure that such illegal activities are brought to standstill.
DMG Director Suresh Shanbhogue has written to the District Collectors and Superintendent of Police (SP) North and South following directions from the Bombay High Court at Goa, who via an order dated August 17, 2022 held that “action is necessary to prevent illegal and unauthorized quarrying as such activity is a source of pollution, apart from the brazen theft of people’s wealth”.
Shanbhogue said that Court also held that the government is merely trustees of this wealth and, therefore, are duty-bound to ensure that the same is no squandered. The Court reiterated the concern order on March 16, 2023.
In its letter, the Director said, “it’s high time that the mining department and the police authorities crack down on such large-scale illegal and unauthorized quarrying in the State”.
“It is necessary that there has to be a complete crackdown on illegal extraction of sand and illegal laterite stone quarry all over the State and all such illegal activity needs to be brought to stand still forthwith,” he said assuring that the department will extend all necessary cooperation to the Revenue department and police.
Since September 2022 till date, the DMG has filed 49 FIRs in illegal extraction of laterite and sand.
“It has come to the notice of the department that in spite of the complaints registered and equipment seized, illegal activities continued at the site. Once the site is reported as illegal quarry, it is necessary that a strict vigil of such sites is maintained by police,” Shanbhogue added.
He said that the Talathi being the village level officials under the revenue administration has to report all such illegal activities to the Mamlatdar so that the flying squad under Mamlatdar is activated for immediate inspection of such sites.
The DMG said that the excavation of pits endangers humans, cattle and wildlife.
