‘Quarrying halted at three units near Karinjeshwara Temple’

In the backdrop of complaints on stone quarry affecting the Sri Karinjeshwara Temple in Bantwal and surrounding areas, District In-charge Minister V Sunil Kumar said that all three stone quarry units have been stopped from functioning.

The three stone quarries functioning near the temple were affecting not only the temple but also the villages of Kavalamudoor and Kavalapadoor.

The minister said that quarrying was carried out on 0.50-acre-land in survey number 164/2P and 0.50-acre-land on survey number 172/2P at Kavalamudoor since 2007. However, the quarry owner had been illegally carrying out the quarrying by extending the quarry area to another 3.28 acres of land.

The mines and geology department had slapped a fine of Rs 8,12,87,198 on the owner and the quarry was stopped in December 2021. A private case has been filed against the owner at the Bantwal court for illegally carrying out quarrying, he said.

The minister further said that the stone quarry on 1-acre-land on survey number 121/2P1 on Kavalapadoor had commenced in 2016. Though the contractor had a permit to carry out quarrying for 20 years, the quarry was suspended after he allegedly encroached gomala land for carrying out the quarry operations. An inquiry by the officials had proved that he had encroached gomala land for quarrying.

The contractor of a quarry that was started on 1-acre-land on survey number 122/3P1 at Kavalapadoor had died and other individuals were carrying out the quarrying illegally. Hence, it has been stopped now, he added.

The minister said that all three stone quarry units that were functioning in and around the historic temple have been stopped. The officials have been directed to ensure that no quarry units are operated in the area in the future.

Already, a discussion is on at the government level to declare the area surrounding Karinjeshwara Temple as a highly sensitive zone. The demands of the devotees will be fulfilled in a phased manner after discussing at the government level, said the minister.

It may be recalled that Hindu Jagarana Vedike had carried out a series of protests demanding the suspension of quarry activities near the temple.

The Vedike members had alleged that quarry activities had affected the structure of the temple as well.