Jajpur: Regular extraction of black stones from six stone quarries on Rahadpur hill under Dharmasala tehsil in the district has posed a serious threat to the existence of two minor irrigation projects in the area.
The Ranibandh and Paikarapur minor irrigation projects lying close to the hill were set up to provide irrigation facilities to farmers in the district.
The state government is constructing large, medium, minor irrigation projects, dug wells and bore wells to increase the irrigation cover. However, the district administration is allegedly frustrating the objective by catering only for the groups with vested interests.
Quarrying of black stones on Rahadapur hill under Dharmasala tehsil, close to Ranibandh and Paikarapur MIPs is a case in this point. A case against mining of black stones on Rahadapur hill is sub-judice in Orissa High Court. However, the district administration has given six stone quarries on lease ignoring the interest of farmers and the HC case.
It was alleged that the Ranibandh MIP might get extinct due to regular mining of large quantities of black stones.
The existential threat to the two MIPs came to the fore after a social activist, Sarbeshwar Behura, filed a public interest litigation (case no-3065/2018) in High Court, February, 2018. He alleged that over 12 stone quarries are operating in the area without having environmental permission.
He further alleged that the establishment of modern crusher units near the irrigation project and construction of a road in the area has posed serious threat to the existence of the irrigation projects.
Moreover, violation of environment and forest Act and minor mineral concession rules has aggravated air and water pollution in the area.
Earlier, residents had submitted a memorandum to the Collector demanding a joint probe into the irregularities. They alleged they often face drought like conditions despite presence of two MIPs. Later, the district administration clamped prohibitory order Section-44 in the area.
Behura also submitted the copies of the memorandum submitted to the Collector while filing the PIL. State revenue secretary, forest and environment secretary, member secretary, state pollution control board chief engineer and executive engineer of MIPs were made party to the case.
A bench of the High Court heard the matter and directed the Collector to decide on the matter within six weeks and submit a report to it, August 6, 2019.
However, the administration started leasing out the stone quarries to interested bidders instead of implementing the HC order. Interestingly, the administration has leased out six quarries while the remaining six quarries are operating illegally.
The complainant again went to HC and a contempt case was filed. The HC hearing the matter has issued a notice to the parties, October 20, 2020. Collector Chakraborty Singh Rathore held discussions with Behura and sought reply from the MIP authorities in this regard.
Reportedly the state government has sanctioned Rs 8 lakh from critical fund in 2017-18 fiscal over Rs 4 lakh in two phases for concretization of the canal from non-plan budget in 2015-16 fiscal, around Rs 9 lakh in 2017-18 fiscal and Rs 19 lakh in 2019-20 fiscal.
Behura has questioned where the money has been spent when the two MIPs are facing existential threat due to mindless mining in stone quarries. He warned that he will approach the Lokayukta in this regard in the coming days.
PNN