The High Court of Karnataka banned all types of mining and quarrying activities within a 20-km radius of the historic Krishnarajasagar (KRS) dam in Mandya district.
The ban will be in force till the completion of a study by experts, as per provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2022. Authorities are required to complete the study, depending upon the conduciveness, the court said without fixing any deadline.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Justice Krishna S. Dixit passed the interim order by suo motu taking cognisance of possible danger to the KRS dam due to mining activities within a 20-km radius.
The ban will apply even for those mining activities within 20-km radius for which permissions were already granted by the authorities of the government, or already operating in the area, or were permitted on the orders of the High Court in earlier rounds of litigation.
The bench took cognisance while hearing a petition by C.G. Kumar, a land owner from Chinakurali village of Pandavapura taluk in Mandya district. The petitioner had questioned a restriction imposed in May 2023 by the Deputy Commissioner, Mandya district against using the land for mining.
The bench said that, in some earlier litigations, it had permitted mining activity within a 20-km radius of the dam, as it was not brought to its notice the existence of the Dam Safety Act, 2021 and safety measures to be undertaken under this law.
