<div>Forty farmers of Gollahalli in Kasaba hobli of the taluk have complained that they are badly affected by an illegal stone crushing unit in the village. They said Rock Sand Minerals, a private company, is engaged in stone crushing from the last one year on survey number 14/P in the village and it is affecting agricultural activities in the village.<br /><br />They claimed that they cannot even provide fodder to their cattle. The farmers said they were cultivating 200 acres of government land on survey number 14/P from a few decades and received title deeds of the land in 1996. Anjinappa, one of the farmers who received the title deed of two acres of land, has given his land to a private company on lease. Also, he has given a borewell, dug for agriculture purpose under Ganga Kalyana project, to the company in violation of rules, they charged. <br /><br />They also said the company has encroached upon the surrounding three acres of land for stone crushing activities. The dust rising from the unit has covered agricultural fields and is affecting the crops. Also, the pieces of boulders being burst in the mining area have filled the farms, they poured out their woes. <br /><br />G V Krishnappa, a farmer, said, “We can’t grow any crops due to dust from the stone crushing unit. Fodder is also not available. Dust from the unit settles down on our crops. We can’t even graze our cattle as the meadows are covered with dust. It is also affecting the wild animals. Some farmers have already sold their cattle as they cannot find fodder.”<br /><br />“We had given complaints against the illegal stone crushing unit to the deputy commissioner, deputy tahsildar, Mines and Geology Department and other government departments.The tahsildar officials of the Mines and Geology Department and Pollution Control Board inspected the unit a week ago. They have told the company to stop the unit. Since then, the company has stopped the unit in the morning. But the unit is functioning at night,” he charged. <br /><br />Maddoorappa, another farmer, said, “I have lost tur and Avare crops to the stone crushing unit’s activities and incurred a loss of Rs 2 lakh. What should we do if the situation goes on like this?”Farmer Nagaraj said the stone crushing has hit his marigold farm hard. “The flowers were full of dust. I had to sell my flowers at cheaper rates.”<br /><br />The affected farmers have urged the district administration to take steps to completely stop the stone crushing unit and also provide compensation for crop loss. They also want the government to take back the land and borewell. <br /><br />They said the stone crushing unit owner has threatened them with dire consquences when they asked him to stop the unit. Farmers’ leader Yaluvahalli Sonnegowda said permission should not be given to stone crushing units on agricultural land. The small farmers do not have any means except the land provided by the government, he said. <br /></div>
<div>Forty farmers of Gollahalli in Kasaba hobli of the taluk have complained that they are badly affected by an illegal stone crushing unit in the village. They said Rock Sand Minerals, a private company, is engaged in stone crushing from the last one year on survey number 14/P in the village and it is affecting agricultural activities in the village.<br /><br />They claimed that they cannot even provide fodder to their cattle. The farmers said they were cultivating 200 acres of government land on survey number 14/P from a few decades and received title deeds of the land in 1996. Anjinappa, one of the farmers who received the title deed of two acres of land, has given his land to a private company on lease. Also, he has given a borewell, dug for agriculture purpose under Ganga Kalyana project, to the company in violation of rules, they charged. <br /><br />They also said the company has encroached upon the surrounding three acres of land for stone crushing activities. The dust rising from the unit has covered agricultural fields and is affecting the crops. Also, the pieces of boulders being burst in the mining area have filled the farms, they poured out their woes. <br /><br />G V Krishnappa, a farmer, said, “We can’t grow any crops due to dust from the stone crushing unit. Fodder is also not available. Dust from the unit settles down on our crops. We can’t even graze our cattle as the meadows are covered with dust. It is also affecting the wild animals. Some farmers have already sold their cattle as they cannot find fodder.”<br /><br />“We had given complaints against the illegal stone crushing unit to the deputy commissioner, deputy tahsildar, Mines and Geology Department and other government departments.The tahsildar officials of the Mines and Geology Department and Pollution Control Board inspected the unit a week ago. They have told the company to stop the unit. Since then, the company has stopped the unit in the morning. But the unit is functioning at night,” he charged. <br /><br />Maddoorappa, another farmer, said, “I have lost tur and Avare crops to the stone crushing unit’s activities and incurred a loss of Rs 2 lakh. What should we do if the situation goes on like this?”Farmer Nagaraj said the stone crushing has hit his marigold farm hard. “The flowers were full of dust. I had to sell my flowers at cheaper rates.”<br /><br />The affected farmers have urged the district administration to take steps to completely stop the stone crushing unit and also provide compensation for crop loss. They also want the government to take back the land and borewell. <br /><br />They said the stone crushing unit owner has threatened them with dire consquences when they asked him to stop the unit. Farmers’ leader Yaluvahalli Sonnegowda said permission should not be given to stone crushing units on agricultural land. The small farmers do not have any means except the land provided by the government, he said. <br /></div>
