Police and mining department officials have seized huge quantities of iron and manganese ore, quarried illegally, from different areas of Joda mining sector in last one month. On Friday, police seized a tipper carrying stolen iron ore under Rugudi police limits and arrested two persons in a jeep, which was escorting the tipper.
Similarly mining department officials recently seized 40 sacks of manganese ore, weighing 2 MT, from Sidhamatha reserve forest. Earlier, the state enforcement squad during search in Sidhamatha forest detected some illegal quarrying. The squad seized more than 300 MT iron ore worth Rs 15 lakh from three different places in the reserve forest area. Mining officials and police had also seized 150 sacks of manganese ore from Inaganijharan and 70 sacks from Hudi Sahi under Joda mining area.
Despite raids and restriction on mineral transport in Joda mining area, mining mafia are smuggling minerals in tippers and small vehicles like jeeps and pick-up vans instead of trucks to avoid suspicion. The minerals from Joda, Bamebari, Rugudi and Barbil are being transported to Sundargarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal, said an insider.
Illegal extraction of minerals is taking place in reserve forests like Sidhamatha, Tankura, Roida, Thakurani, Chormalda, Khandbandh, Kundurpani, Lasarda, Murga, Karo and Ulliburu, said an officer of mining department.
Deputy director of mines S Sahu said, "We are continuing raids on different areas in Joda mining sector. Similarly state and district taskforce are conducting crackdowns and seized huge quantities of minerals in past one month." Sub-divisional police officer (Barbil) A P Swain said, "We have intensified patrolling to check mineral smuggling."
Source: The Times of India
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