Sprinkle water to beat dust pollution

That's the govt's solution for Bellary's dusty roads caused by illegal mining. But where's the water in the district to do that? And what about the illegal mining itself?

That's the govt's solution for Bellary's dusty roads caused by illegal mining. But where's the water in the district to do that? And what about the illegal mining itself?

THE government wants to bring down pollution levels in parched Bellary by sprinkling water on the roads.

The suggestion was in response to a Lokayukta report on illegal mining in the district which said the transportation of minerals damaged roads andu00a0 increased pollution.

u00a0"The entire district is suffering from shortage of water. I do not know how they will provide water for this new scheme. Maybe they'll use sewage water," Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde quipped.

According to the Lokayukta, the problem arose because the government had doled out permits indiscriminately and the trucks plying numbered anywhere between 200 to 300.

When the Lokayukta suggested that the government renew its transport licence on a one-truck-one-trip basis, the government came up with an alternative suggestion that it would direct transporters to sprinkle water on the roads to prevent dust pollution.
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It also told Lokayukta that truckers had been directed to cover vehicles with tarpaulin.

No action taken

Though the government said it had taken a series of steps, "It is not yet clear what action they have taken, since mining continues unabated," Hegde said.

The government said it had issued notices to the erring Mysore Minerals Limited and its officials for their alleged irregularities, but there has been no development on that till date.

Though the Lokayukta report named 39 companies which had flouted rules, the government has taken action only against MML, Hegde said.

According to the Lokayukta report, the government has incurred a loss of approximately Rs 600 crore but had evaluated it as only Rs 140 crore.

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