Forest personnel of the North Garo Hills Divisional Forest Office have issued summons to the apparent owner of an illegal stone quarry after explosives were used to blast stones without any form of permission from authorities.
Earlier local sources had alleged that one Harlding Marak, a resident of Kharkutta had bought land in Upper Rongbu village and set up a stone quarry. The land in question falls close to the PWD road connecting Kharkutta to other villages and Dudhnoi in Assam.
Harlding had earlier too been warned by the forest officials after he tried to set up a similar stone quarry around the same area. While he had been silent for a while, the stone blasting on Sunday had jolted the forest department awake.
A visit to the site of the quarry showed that it did not meet any of the specifications set by the state for the running of a stone quarry. Being beside the road, any form of explosive use would have blocked the road – something that happened for about an hour on November 28, as well as endangered lives of those living around. Further the use of explosives, without any permission to do so has made things worse.
Acting on the tip off, a team comprising the Dainadubi Forest Range office as well as the district AFO paid a visit to the site yesterday and saw a few local labourers working there. Upon questioning them, the locals confirmed that the blasting was carried out by Harlding and they were only there clearing the stones as daily wage work. The explosion took place at about 4 pm.
After confirmation, summons were sent to the alleged owner yesterday though till the time of reporting, Harlding is yet to appear in front of them.
“Use of explosives in the quarry is a very severe offence and doing so without permission is even more. Further no permission has been granted from any state agencies for the running of a quarry in the area mentioned. We will take stringent action against this,” said Sathish K S, the DFO – East and North Garo Hills.
The DFO added that if the owner were to not appear before them, the matter would be taken to court as well the police over the use of illegal explosives.
