Goemkarponn desk
Valpoi
After ignoring several complaints and locals threatening aggressive action against the illegal laterite quarry in the Pissurlem area, the government authorities finally acted and raided the illegal operations.
The massive action by revenue officials, police and mining dept,
began on Thursday morning.
According to the information received under this operation, one JCB machine, four power tillers, four generators and four laterite cutting machines have been seized.
This is the first large-scale operation in the last several years.
It is learned that there are about 40 illegal quarries in Pissurlem Panchayat area of Sattari taluka.
Many of them are operating in government lands. Some are operating in private lands.
Locals have been asked to stop these illegal activities, and many complaints have been lodged. However, the authorities had deliberately ignored it.
Due to this, many women in the area went to the illegal laterite extraction site this morning and stopped the operation.
Taking serious note of this, the department officers, the officers of the police station and the officers of the mamlatdar and deputy collector office, along with the mining department, rushed to the spot and took large scale action.
Meanwhile, when the women went to stop the work, the workers left the machinery and fled from the spot. JCB machine, four powered tillers, four generators were seized during the operation. At present, the machinery has been handed over to the local police.
Meanwhile, according to more information received in this regard, more than 40 illegal extraction points are operating in the Panchayat area.
This has resulted in large-scale felling of trees in the area. Even though the extraction is being carried out on government land, it has been entirely ignored by the concerned department. Locals allege that there was collusion between businessmen and government officials.
Adv. Rachna Parab reacting to the development, said that many illegal quarries are operating in the area.
“Our family has a share in Survey No. 24/1. Even so, owning one is still beyond the reach of the average person. Complaints in this regard have been lodged with the police station, Sattari taluka deputy collector Mamledar. But no action has been taken so far,” she said.