Accident fallout: Govt directive to inspect quarries
Chennai: Following a rockslide in a Sivaganga stone quarry that resulted in six deaths, the geology and mining department directed officials in all districts to undertake quarry inspections and address safety concerns.
The directive mandates deputy and assistant directors in all districts to inspect at least 10 quarries every month and submit reports on safety precautions to the commissionerate. Meanwhile, activists alleged illegal operations and the use of explosives contributing to frequent accidents in stone quarries in recent years. Three people died in an explosion in Virudhunagar. In another incident, a worker died after an oxygen cylinder exploded while being unloaded from a truck in Tirupur.
The department issued a communication to all districts, emphasising on the risk to quarry workers' lives from rockslides and explosions. The accidents occur due to "improper adherence to guidelines and safety precautions provided by govt while granting permission", it said, highlighting the need for inspections to implement precautionary measures. All district collectors and zonal joint directors have been instructed to closely monitor the inspections conducted by district officials and issue appropriate orders.
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The rockslide in Sivaganga is the latest in a series of accidents involving stone quarries, which have become more active due to the increased use of M-sand in construction. Last year there were multiple accidents, including two fatalities in an explosion in an illegal stone quarry in TN Palayam near Gobichettipalayam in Aug.
Police officials currently investigating the Sivaganga incident said they are awaiting reports from drone surveys and analyses of the operator's blasting techniques. An official said, "The revenue and mines department conducted the drone survey on all five stone quarries in the district." Activists are, however, raising concerns about the regulation of quarry operations. Tamil Nadu Environment Protection Committee coordinator, R S Mugilan, alleged that quarry operators across the state are flouting rules, and there is a lack of monitoring by administrators.
"Quarries are illegally excavated and are operated beyond the permitted time. The workers are not given safety guards and the CCTV surveillance is not properly done," he alleged.
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