Forest department officials and staff sealed more than 10 crushing units, that were functioning illegally in the forest land, at Mundugadore and surrounding places in the taluk, on Friday.

The department personnel, with the help of excavators, destroyed the bunkers at the crushing units. They also disconnected the power supply. Range Forest Officer Anitha warned that cases would be filed against those who try to oppose or resist the department personnel from closing the unit. The labourers and the owners turned into mute spectators.

Several crushers like Diamond stone crusher, Prime crusher, Cheluvarayaswamy crushers, Subramanyeshwara, Siddeshwara, Valli, Shivakumar, Kantharaju, KTR, Robin crushers were closed as they were functioning illegally. All the units functioning illegally would be closed, Anitha said.

Anandegowda of the Forest department said, “Based on the complaints, the department prepared a report of illegal crushing units at Mundugadore and Hangarahalli and a chargesheet is submitted. As the units continued to flout the norms and functioned illegally, the units has been raided and sealed.”

‘Raid on only few units’

The officials said that action would be taken against the violators. The department would not succumb to any political pressure.

Meanwhile, the labourers claimed that the officials have closed only a few crushers and spared the units belonging to influential persons. Hundreds of people are dependent on the crushing units and the officials are unnecessarily harassing them, they complained.