Udupi: The residents of Karje staged a protest against the Mines and Geology Department for allegedly granting permission for a crusher unit in the government land.
The Mines and Geology Department has identified 4 spots in Karje for conducting stone crushing. A crusher unit near Mel Karje has been gearing to function in a densely populated area. The bidders have requested permission to use explosives within four acres of land.
The officials of the Mines and Geology Department have conducted a survey without informing the locals, which has angered the residents of Karje. The residents allege that the officials are being influenced by the owners of the crushing unit.
The owner of the crushing unit has even closed the road used by a family which resides near the area of the unit. The residents say that the land allotted for mining activities comes under deemed forest and according to rules, mining activities are barred in deemed forest areas. The crushing unit owners have used the influence of higher-ups to violate the rules.
The villagers were planning to keep the officials in the mining area while conducting the survey. However, the officials did not conduct the survey on October 8. The villagers have urged the officials to withdraw the licence issued to the crushing unit and stop the work.