Mining cannot be stopped completely. Stone quarrying is essential for construction purposes. The question is not that mining and quarrying is going on. The real question is that it is going on in forest lands or in Kacharai which is illegal according to the law. The High Court has called for status reports from the DCs. That is what has to happen in normal course of things. But the Government needs to give a serious thought to all aspects of the issue. Ways and means need to be devised so that much required material in the shape of mines or stone quarries is made reasonably available to the people of the State. The Government can identify certain areas specifically to be handled by mining contractors so that they get a source of livelihood and our requirements on national scale are also met. We concede that ecological balance has to be maintained at any cost and the parameters of environmental balance have to be adhered to. But at the same time the state cannot be deprived of the mineral wealth which it may need in other industries. It is also important that those who were engaged in store quarrying for many years in the past cannot be left in a State of desperation. The Government needs to formulate alternative source of living for them and at the same time putting their hitherto illegal quarries into proper and legal use. The Government can also put limits to quarrying so that adjoining arable lands are not damaged. The climatic effect of quarrying also has to be taken into account and that has to be dealt with by experts.
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