Farmers troubled by stone crushers at Pindiprolu village in Khammam
Farmers in Pindiprolu village of Khammam district have complained that pollution from stone quarries and heavy tippers is damaging crops, roads and health. They alleged that authorities have failed to act despite repeated complaints
Khammam: Farmers in and around Pindiprolu village of Tirumalayapalem mandal have been complaining about damage to their crops due to pollution caused by stone quarries and heavy tippers.
The locals said that besides damage to the standing crops, villagers have been caught in the grip of dust and noise pollution and are suffering from different ailments. Every day, hundreds of tippers carrying gravel loads are damaging the BT roads, on which huge potholes have developed.
People alleged that the operators of stone quarries and gravel crushers are violating rules and behaving as they please, making agricultural fields and the surroundings of their houses unrecognisable with dust.
Farmer Tata Ravinder of the village, speaking to Telangana Today, alleged that due to dust pollution caused by stone crushers being run at the Cosmic Valley Pyramid Meditation Centre, crops such as chilli, paddy, maize, cotton and palm oil are being affected.
Similarly, those visiting the meditation centre to spend peaceful time there are also suffering due to dust and noise pollution. As per rules, crusher owners have to sprinkle water on the road to prevent dust, but they are not following the norms, he noted.
Hillocks such as Kavetiguttalu, Maisammaguttalu and Jinkalaguttalu, which once served as hideouts for communists who took part in the armed struggle against the tyrannical rule of the Nizams of Hyderabad, are disappearing due to stone quarrying.
The noise caused by regular blasting to break stones has forced villagers to spend sleepless nights. Several complaints to the authorities to address the issue have remained unanswered, Ravinder lamented.
According to the farmers, a Congress minister who owned the quarries leased them to a contractor in Vijayawada, and the gravel produced is being transported to Andhra Pradesh.