The Madhav Gadgil committee report on Western Ghats islikely to seal the fate of several laterite stone mines operating in and aroundforest areas in the Sidhudurg district.
More than 800 laterite stone quarries are in the Sindhudurgdistrict and more than 10,000 families are depending on the business.
There is an apprehension in the minds of the people inSindhudurg that stone quarry operation will be stopped and thousands of peopleemployed on the quarry will be affected.
According to the Gadgil report it is compulsory for everyquarry to obtain clearance from the Union ministry of forest and environment.Earlier this was not mandatory.
A delegation of the stone quarries met Maharashtra StateMinister of Industries, Narayan Rane asking for intervention in the matter.
The minister has assured the delegation that he will lookinto the matter try to resolve the issue informed Datta Samant, a lateritequarry owner.
Civil contractors in the Sindhudurg district are also ananxious lost, as shortage of laterite stones will affect construction business.
The Gadgil panel in its report classified 142 taluks in theWestern Ghats into Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) 1, 2 and 3.
The panel recommended that no new dams be permitted inEcologically Sensitive Zone 1. “Since both the Athirappilly of Kerala and Gundiaof Karnataka hydel project sites fall in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1, theseprojects should not be accorded environmental clearance,” the panel said.
