Borewells go dry, houses develop cracks as blasts continue

He was speaking

to Deccan Herald on the woes of farmers due to explosives used for quarry. The farmers of Beeranahalli Thandya, Sevapura, Sadarahalli, Chikkathangali and Beeranahalli are in distress owing to quarry.

The farmers said “Owing to the explosives used for quarry, the rocks beneath the earth have moved, thus closing the borewell holes. Pumps which have been kept inside, can not be lifted. Farmers are not in a position even to pay back the loan borrowed for digging borewells.”  

“The explosion takes place at 4 pm. All the cattle have developed fear. As a result, they are not having their fodder. This has reduced the milk. Some of the sheep have been killed when the stone hit them after the explosion,” they informed.

In Malleshwara Gram Panchayat, there are as many as 27 legal and illegal quarries. Most of the quarries have license. Owing to the intensity of the explosion, several houses have developed cracks.

Owing to  quarrying, the historic Kanakadasa statue at Kanakappanagudde is in danger. In fact, the hillock was known for bears and it was called Karadigudde. However, now all of them have disappeared, said Srinivas.

“The hillocks have already been razed to the ground. If the quarry works continue, then there will be nothing for the future generation. Even elected representatives and officials are involved in quarry works. As a result, there is no value for our protest.”

The extent of damage due to quarry is fully seen at Malleshwara Gudda, Karadigudda, Metigudda, Nurondu Edegudda, Nirwanaswamy Gudda, Kanakappanagudda.

Appeal

“Our village has 1,500 cattle. The grazing ground belongs to Forest department. However, it has been transferred to Revenue department and permission has been given for quarry,” alleged the residents of Beeranahalli Thandya, Sevapura, Sadarahalli, Chikkathangali and Beeranahalli villagers in a memorandum submitted to State government through DC.

In Beeranahalli, contractor from Andhra Pradesh is carrying out quarry in five acre land in survey number 10 of Beeranahalli and survey number 68 of Sadarahalli. Officials should visit the spot and action should be initiated against those who have violated the rules, they said and warned of indefinite fasting if the villagers fail to get justice, they said.

Owing to the explosion, vessels arranged in the kitchen falls to ground in Vidyanagara and other extension in Kadur, said public. “The explosion takes place at 6 pm which makes us to wonder whether we are in war zone. The windows shake and we feel the tremor,” said Hemalatha, a housewife in Vidyanagara.

Fact file

* 48 quarries in Kadur
* 27 mines in Malleshwara Gram Panchayat limits
* Borewells have gone dry
* Houses have developed cracks
* Daily tremors in Kadur town