Phulbari, Nov 14: The Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) finally got into action mode after reports of the presence of a huge number of illegal stone quarries and crushers running rampant in the Gomaijhora area in the plain belt of West Garo Hills.
The report yesterday had mentioned at least 12 stone quarries and at least 4 illegally set up crushers operating wantonly in the area despite the presence of a GHADC check gate and an office of the Forest Development Corporation of Meghalaya (FDCM).
After information was provided to the CFO, Rangkhu N Sangma on the illegalities taking place in the area, a team from the GHADC phulbari Forest range was sent this morning to investigate the matter. However, as if aware of the fact that a raid was imminent following the report, the shrewd illegal quarry owners, along with labourers and their equipment ran from their place of operation.
When the team reached most of the area was cleared. However, a shallow machine used to drain water from the quarries was left behind by one of the labourers when they were given chase by the forest team. More accessories, including pick axes, shovels among others were also recovered from many of the sites where quarrying was taking place.
These were later seized and brought back to the Phulbari office by the team that went there.
“Most of these people were definitely using explosives to extract stones as it would not have been possible otherwise to break open such a huge area in such a short while. The FDCM should have reported the matter to us instead of contacting their higher ups and so should have the local GHADC gate employees. Their involvement is condemnable,” informed a highly placed forest department source.
Indications of the damage that has already been done were clear for all to see. The GHADC forest department however has assured that action would be taken against the violators.
Meanwhile reports of other such illegal stone quarry operations in the plain belt have begun to seep in and will need more searching and investigating in the coming days.