Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jul 25: The district administration, which was taken aback by the danger posed by abandoned stone quarries with standing water, has taken up the task of filling them. The realization about the grave danger posed by these water-filled voids came after five small children from Mijar Daddi and Malady in Beluvai lost their lives on a single day, after drowning in standing water of such quarries.
The work of filling the quarry pits began on Thursday July 24 at Arasulepadavu in Yekkar gram panchayat, where most of the stone quarries are located. The operation has been jointly undertaken by mines and geology as well as revenue department. In-charge deputy director of mines and geology department of Dakshina Kannada district, K S Nagendrappa, guided the operations.
After the district deputy commissioner ordered immediate closure of the quarries, some quarries standing in Beltangady taluk stand levelled, while JCBs have been pressed into service to level the land where quarries are located in other places too, it is gathered.
Special tahsildar of Mulky, A G Beni, said that information is being collected about quarries located within Mulky revenue division. 'Initially, it has been decided to concentrate on the work of closing or erecting fences around those quarries which are located near highly populated areas. Village accountants are already at work, gathering information on these aspects,' he added.
Mines and geology department executive engineer, Mahadevappa, Suratkal revenue division revenue inspector, Naveen Kumar, village accountants of some other villages and others have been supervising the work of removing of dangerous quarries.
It is learnt that several quarries standing near Belman in Udupi district are either being closed or fences are being constructed around them. The government departments plan to recover cost of these operations from the owners of these quarries.