JOIN USKarnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) chairman Vaman Acharya on Tuesday inspected the safe disposal of granite slurry at two quarry pits - Lakshmipura and Bannerghatta. These abandoned granite quarry pits were found to be filled with granite slurry, garbage and soil.
Acharya told presspersons that the Board had issued notices to 117 granite cutting and polishing industries in and around Jigani in 2011 to close down their units since the slurry was being dumped on road side causing inconvenience to road users.
He said that following several complaints, KSPCB had issued orders for closure of the granite units until they find a solution for safe disposal of the slurry. Slurry which consists fine dust particle gets easily spread with the slightest movement of air. Breathing this dust causes various respiratory diseases, he added.
The Jigani Granite Industries Owners’ Welfare Association, with the help of KSPCB officials, found a solution to fill up the abandoned quarries with the slurry and mud.
“These quarry pits have become unauthorised landfills where City garbage is being dumped which the Board is allowing only to ensure these pits are filled,” Acharya added.
There are over nine granite quarry pits, of which the one on survey number 48 of Mahantalingapura has been filled. Besides this, slurry has been filled in the quarry pits of survey no 1 and 2 at Bannerghatta. The gram panchayats have also decided to form sites on this land and allot them for construction of Ashraya houses.
At present, slurry is being disposed of at abandoned pits in Lakshmipurabande, Bingipura and Mantapa villages.