Coastal lawmakers meet Murugesh Nirani; urge to resume quarrying activities

Mangaluru: A delegation led by MLA Vedavyas Kamath and Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat including members Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Quarry Owners’ Association met Minister for Mines and Geology, Murugesh Nirani and urged him to lift blanket ban on stone quarrying activities.

They claimed that the stone quarry ban has had a negative impact on the local economy and also brought construction activity to a standstill.

In the backdrop of blasts at Shivamogga and Chikkaballapur, the state government had imposed a blanket ban on quarrying activities in the state and made rules requiring licensed quarry owners to obtain permission from the Director-General of Mines Safety (DGMS) for using explosives within the quarry.

However, small quarry owners, conducting operations within a hectare of area, are unable to secure the permit from DGMS as it has no authority to deal with small operations falling below one hectare (2.5 acres).

Stating that the DGMS conditions are suitable for large quarries, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Quarry Owners’ Association had recently asked the government to lift the blanket ban and clarify the law by making the necessary changes to the laws to explicitly exempt small quarry owners with less than five acres from obtaining permission from the DGMS.

Minister Nirani arranged for a meeting with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and brought the issue to his notice. The Chief Minister has instructed the concerned authorities to take appropriate action in this regard