Jajpur: Leasing out any portion of a reserve forest (RF) or proposed reserve forest (PRF) land for mining is illegal as per law. However, a forested area under Dharmasala tehsil and Cuttack forest division in Jajpur district has allegedly been destroyed by leasing out 14 black stone quarries on the PRF land. After an inter-departmental inquiry uncovered the wrongdoing, errant officials are now in a quandary. Extraction of black stones from the PRF land has not only led to a depletion of green cover but also affected the bio-diversity in the area. Earlier, wild animals like leopards, bears, elephants, barking deer and porcupines used to be seen in the forest.
However, the destruction of forest cover, illegal stone extraction in quarries, blasting of explosives and lack of water sources have led to an exodus of wild animals from the forest. Moreover, the PRFs at AsiaCharinangal, Balarampur, Madhupur, Bandhapali, Kantigadia, Maulabhanja and Bajragiri areas are on the verge of extinction for similar reasons. Reports said that the state Mining and Revenue departments have leased out 14 black stone quarries on a PRF land. The extraction of minerals has severely affected the biodiversity in the forest area. The matter came to light after the DFO of Cuttack Forest Division wrote a letter (August 2) to the Jajpur Collector asking him to cancel the lease of one quarry inside the PRF area.
Later, acting on the direction of the Collector, a joint team of Minor Minerals, Forest and Revenue departments conducted a probe and found 14 black stone quarries operating inside the proposed reserve forest area, Friday. This has established that the lure of easy money through black stone mining has resulted in illegality and wrongdoing among government officials. The disclosure has caught the errant government officials on the wrong foot as they are now trying to come clean on the issue by shifting the blame to others. Sources said the Forest Department had declared 15 forest blocks under Cuttack forest division in Jajpur district as PRFs under Odisha Forest Act-1972 and Section 4(1) of the Indian Forest Act-1927. These declarations were made in between 1970 and 1980. The move was necessitated to protect the rich bio-diversity in these forest blocks and to safeguard the interest of the people. Subsequently, the Cuttack DFO wrote a letter (7170, dated September 13, 2019) to the Jajpur Collector apprising him of the declaration of PRFs.
Later, in another letter (7283, dated August 2, 2024) to the Jajpur Collector he asked him for cancellation of quarry permit in respect of Anjira BSQ-7 in Maulabhanja PRF. However, the district administration, instead of taking any action, chose to remain silent which led to the destruction of forest cover. Sources said 14 black stone quarries spread over 114.12 hectare land in Maulabhanja PRF in Dharmasala tehsil have been given on lease. The extraction of black stones still continues unabated from quarry no-1, 4, 7, 10, and 17 in Anjira hill. The DFO in his letter has asked the district Collector to cancel the lease of Anjira quarry no-7 which he claims to be on PRF area, August 2. Acting on the direction of the district Collector, the joint team which started its probe from Friday has found that not only Anjira quarry no-7 but 14 quarries are operational inside the PRF area.
Similarly, the miners are also looting black stones from two more PRF areas in Balarampur and Kolha areas in the district. Leasing out quarries for black stone mining in PRF areas is illegal but the government officials have dared to give these quarries on lease. Environmentalists are waiting to see what action the state government plans to take against these unscrupulous officials. When contacted, Deputy Director Jay Prakash Nayak of Minor Minerals Department said that the PRFs have not been demarcated nor there is any mention of it in the district survey report (DSR). The cluster mining plans have been sanctioned earlier based on which the black stone quarries were given on lease, he added.