The people of Tuem in Pernem taluka are gripped with worry after mamlatdar Ranjit Salgaonkar issued notices to property owners demanding payment of pending fines linked to illegal stone quarrying. The notices warn that properties could be confiscated on the directions of the directorate of mines and geology.
Mines Directorate Initiates Asset Attachment
An official revealed that the mines directorate has begun proceedings to attach houses, private vehicles, and other assets to recover unpaid fines running into lakhs of rupees. This crackdown follows years of illegal stone quarrying in the area.
Notices Served to Co-Owners
With many plots held jointly by comunidades or families, notices have been served to all co-owners, the official added. The move has triggered panic and resentment among recipients, with some accusing the government of now acting against locals over long-running illegalities.
However, others have supported the action, pointing to the danger posed by abandoned quarry pits during the monsoon. In September 2019, four school students drowned in an abandoned stone quarry in Tuem while on a school trek.
Call for Preventive Measures
“We don’t want a repeat of such tragedy. Such quarries should be closed, or filled with soil. We don’t want abandoned water bodies,” said the mother of one of the victims. Local Ratakant Raut emphasized that if quarry owners leave pits open, the government must act to prevent drownings once they fill with rainwater.
“This time, swimming zones and signage warning against drowning have been put up, but will that be enough? It’s a collective responsibility of locals as well as the administration,” Raut said.
