From Our Correspondent
Phulbari, Nov 14: The GHADC finally swung into action after reports of the presence of several illegal stone quarries and crushers operating in Gomaijhora area in the plain belt of West Garo Hills surfaced.
A team from the GHADC Phulbari forest range was on Tuesday sent to investigate on the matter. However, when the team reached the spot, the quarry owners along with the labourers had already fled.
‘The area was cleared. However, a shallow machine used to drain water from the quarries was left behind. More accessories, including pick axes, shovels among others were also recovered from many of the sites where quarrying was taking place’, the forest officials said.
The materials were seized and brought back to the Phulbari office, they added.
“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. The GHADC forest department has assured that action would be taken against the perpetrators.
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.
It may be mentioned that at least 12 stone quarries and four illegally set up crushers are operating wantonly in the area despite the presence of a GHADC check gate and an office of the Forest Development Corporation of Meghalaya (FDCM).