Karnataka farmers demand blanket ban on mining activities in Mandya

Mining

Farmers’ outfits in Karnataka on Tuesday said that the mining activities around Baby Betta was detrimental to agricultural activities in the region.

Representative Image/ Wikimedia Commons/ Hadalcommons

Farmers in Karnataka’s Mandya district on Tuesday demanded a blanket ban in mining activities in the region, claiming that it was detrimental to carrying out agricultural activities. Farmers with the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha demanded that the district administration must put a stop to mining activities around Baby Betta in Pandavapura taluk.  Mining activities have persisted around the Baby Betta despite the issuing of prohibitory orders by district officials, the farmers claimed. “Taking cognisance of the impact that mining activities had on the structural safety of the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam in Mandya, CM Yediyurappa banned all activities in Baby Betta. Mining in the 20 km radius of the dam was indefinitely banned in September, 2020,” said Kodihalli Chandrashekar, President of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha. When quizzed about the reason behind farmers’ protest, Kodihalli Chandrashekar said, “The mining activity has been going on in the vicinity of the KRS dam; according to the government’s guidelines, it is illegal. The government should stop mining activity in the region.” He further criticised the district officials and claimed they were hand in glove with the owners of mining companies. He announced that if the officials did not intervene, farmers would stage a massive protest across the state. “I have written a letter to the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, the Minister of Mines and Geology CC Patil and the concerned officials. We will schedule a meeting with the CM on January 17 or January 18 and broach this subject with him,” he added. Members of the KRRS said that farmers in the region have been adversely affected by the illegal mining activities. “Use of uncontrolled explosives has created air pollution and further may induce cracks in houses made of local stone and another material has proved detrimental for them. High magnitude blasts are also harmful to farmers living here,” he said.  Sachin, President of Karnataka Kisan Congress, claimed that the officials surpassed their authority and felled the trees that were planted by the farmers in Pandavapura. He also stated that the KKC would file a Public Interest Litigation if the government fails to address the concerns raised by farmer groups. According to TOI, the Mandya Deputy Commissioner M V Venkatesh said that the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre (KSRSAC) refused to partner with the district administration citing security reasons. “The KSRAC was supposed to capture photographs of Baby Betta, which would be reproduced in 2D and 3D which would have assisted officials in mapping any change in the landscape,” he told TOI. When contacted by TNM, Mandya DC Venkatesh was unavailable for comment. 

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