Chamarajanagar DC inspects several quarrying sites to check licences

Gundlupet; Teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force and Fire & Emergency Services Departments have decided to blast the huge rocks that have fallen over a backhoe to retrieve the bodies of two more persons trapped in the stone quarry collapse at Madahalli near Gundlupet.

The stone quarry crashed around noon on Friday and three persons were trapped though initially it was feared that many would have been buried under mud and rocks. Yesterday, the body of Hazeemulla was recovered and today, the search is on for the remaining two. Teams have confirmed that they are getting the smell of decomposed bodies. In all, there were 24 workers at the quarry site when the incident occurred. Of them, 21 have been accounted for. Many workers ran for their life while four of them were rescued.

Huge boulders have fallen over a backhoe under which the two workers have been trapped and it is impossible to locate them. As such, the rescuers have decided to blast the boulders with dynamite so that the rocks are broken into pieces. At noon today, drillers were being used to make holes in the rocks to blast them.

Since the crash site is located 150 feet from the earth’s surface, care must be taken while blasting as the intensity and vibrations might lead to the collapse of more rocks. Suggestions from geologists are being obtained on the blast operation and teams are implementing them accordingly.

DC inspection spree

Meanwhile, a day after the visit of Chamarajanagar District Minister V. Somanna to the site, Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal went on an inspection spree to all quarry sites to check the legalities. The Minister had ordered the DC to inspect the sites and certify whether they are legal or illegal.

Mining and quarrying have been suspended and it will remain in place until the DC certifies that the mineral extraction process is legal and complies with Government norms. A special team, headed by the DC was constituted and it would visit every mine, quarry and crushing site in the district to ascertain if there were any irregularities.

The team also includes the Superintendent of Police and officials from the Department of Mines and Geology and others. The entire team went for inspection today and checked the quarry sites and also the documents. The decision of the DC would be final and binding on all miners.

As per the Minister’s directives, only those quarries that are functioning as per norms would be allowed to continue with their activity and rest will be closed. In this particular quarry, permission was issued for extraction in a plot of 1 acre but the contractor had sub-leased the contract and at the same time, extended the area of mining in clear violation of rules, the Minister added.