Granite quarrying ‘kicking up dust’
Residents in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, are enduring constant noise and dust from year-round granite quarrying activities that have transformed the region's landscape and economy. The granite, extracted both legally and illegally, is exported globally, often with little trace of its origin. Despite enforcement efforts, illegal mining persists due to limited monitoring capacity and jurisdictional challenges.
- ▪Granite mining in Chittoor district operates round-the-clock, affecting the daily lives of residents with noise, dust, and heavy vehicle traffic.
- ▪The region's high-quality granite is exported to places like China, where it is processed for use in buildings and monuments.
- ▪Illegal quarries outnumber licensed ones, and enforcement is hampered by the Mines and Geology Department’s inability to make arrests and insufficient personnel.
- ▪The mining boom began in the 1980s due to rising international demand, shifting the local economy from agriculture to stone extraction.
- ▪Officials report seizing equipment and vehicles during raids, but operators often evade detection by abandoning sites before authorities arrive.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
V. Nataraj, a native of Kuppam mandal of Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district, is up early due to the constant buzz of an alarm. He peeps outside the window to confirm if it is still dark. The 27-year-old, who works as an electrician at a firm in Bengaluru, hurriedly gets ready and reaches the Chittoor-Bengaluru National Highway to board the first bus at 5 a.m. to Bengaluru, which is at least 120 kms from his village.There has been a constant whirring and low-to-high metallic thudding sound since Nataraj woke up until the moment he boarded the bus.The streets of the rural areas in Bangarupalem, Palamaner and Kuppam mandals, located at the tri-State junction of Chittoor district, paint a similar picture, with the granite mining at the centre of the ordeal that residents of the villages have…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hindu — Top.
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