Tremors in Kudremukh worry environmentalists

For three decades, the people of the region had experienced tremors during mining in the hillocks of Kudremukh. However, now even after stopping mining, the region is experiencing tremors.

The mining in Kudremukh was stopped in December, 2005. However, the fact that the region is experiencing tremors even after stopping mining for five years, has worried the environmentalists.

Kudremukh had experienced tremors 22 times when the mining was being carried out in the region. However, two tremors experienced after stopping the mining has been a cause for concern to environmentalists.

It may be recalled that litterateur late Poornachandra Tejaswi had always expressed his concern over Lakya dam. He used to say that there is an atom bomb in Kudremukh, which might explode at any moment. If Lakhya dam explodes, then silt will be filled for kilometres from Bhadra river.

Even after banning of mining as per the direction of Supreme Court, nobody has taken any decision on silt filled in the Lakhya dam. Many doubt that the tremors might have been caused due to the silt filled in the dam. There was no record of the region experiencing tremor prior to the undertaking of mining in the region. The tremors were experienced after the construction of dam and use of explosives in the region. The tremors are the result of undertaking mining in highly sensitive region of Western Ghat, says environmentalist Girijashankar.

There are reasons for no property loss due to tremors. All the buildings are built to provide resistance to tremors. However, there is no technology behind the huts of poor people in Jambale, Nellibeedu and Bilagal among other regions.

It may also be recalled that the environmentalists have been urging the KIOCL to look into the maintenance of Lakhya dam in Kudremukh.