Appellate authority suspends licence for stone crushing

Karnataka State Appellate Authority (Water and Air Act), Bengaluru, has stayed the licence issued to Mookambika Crusher in Yalagoli in Shivapura village in Karkala taluk and ordered the suspension of stone crushing activity till further orders.

In a press release, advocate Ranjan Shetty said the natives of Yalagoli-Shivapura village, have been complaining about the illegal stone quarrying  and crushing business carried out by Mookambika Crusher since many years.

­The villagers had submitted memorandums to officials stating stone crushing is affecting their health and crops are also adversely affected. They had said the village roads are damaged due to stone crushing and the air is also polluted, he said.

Hebri police officials conducted investigation over the villagers’ complaints and submitted a report to deputy commissioner on April 6, 2015 for suitable action after recording the statements of the villagers.

The matter was also taken up with Upa Lokayukta Subash B Adi. He had visited  Shivapura on June 27, 2015. Finally, the affected Bhoja Shetty and Guruprasad Acharya approached the appellate authority on April 3, 2017.

The matter was taken up for hearing on April 5 and after hearing the appellants as well as Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, the authority stayed the consent for operation issued to the crusher unit and ordered the suspension of stone crushing activity till further orders, the advocate said in the press release.