The district committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Wednesday alleged that illegal mining of laterite has been taking place in Nathavaram mandal of the district for the past 21 years, in an extent of 121 hectares, and sought action against those responsible for it.
CPI(M) District Committee secretary K. Lokanadham, member D. Sattibabu and Nathavaram mandal secretary A. Raju submitted a petition to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Committee, which visited the laterite mining area on Wednesday to study irregularities in laterite mining.
The CPI(M) delegation alleged that the mining was being done with the connivance of government officials, ignoring protests by local tribals. The holding of a ‘Gram sabha’, which is mandatory for taking up any activity, was not done and a road was being widened for transport of laterite, without obtaining permission, in violation of the Scheduled Tribes and other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest rights) Act, 2016, and without the required environmental clearances, the delegation alleged.
The CPI(M) leaders noted in the petition that an estimated 11 metric tonnes of laterite was exported from Nathavaram. The illegal mining activity was depriving the traditional tribal people of their livelihood besides severely affecting wildlife. There is a threat of contamination of groundwater, which would affect the health of the local people. Though this land was shown as Un-Surveyed Hill Poramboke (USHP), the actual location of the mine is very adjacent to the reserve forest land in the 5th Schedule Area and there is a demand to include this tribal area, also in the Scheduled Area which comes under the purview of 1/70 Act of Andhra Pradesh, which prohibits any activity by non-tribal people, they said.
They appealed to the NGT Committee members to declare the laterite mining activity as illegal and initiate stern action against on all those, including officials, who are responsible for this illegal mining. The CPI(M) leaders also sought recovery of the entire amount of the value of the exported laterite exported from the site.
