The fate of a large number of stone quarry workers is hanging in balance in Jajpur district, thanks to slipshod attitude of the authorities.
Many workers suffer from respiratory, skin and other diseases, but the illegal quarry owners never provide any medical help to the hapless workers, said trade union leader Mayadhar Nayak.
Around 30 quarry workers have died within five years after they were crushed to death under the stones while digging hillocks in Dharmasala, Barachana, Binjharapur , Rasulpur and other areas of the district.
Besides, illegal stone quarries have mushroomed over the past 10 years across the district due to record demand for stones and chips for the purpose of construction works.
Despite stone mining’s link to several occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis, silicosis, tuberculosis, asbestosis and asthma, abject poverty keeps driving villagers in many parts of the State to work in mining sector, said Natabar Jaraka of Neulapur village.
“Abject poverty is more horrible than death for which each day we risk our lives to earn around Rs 300 to Rs 400 per day by digging stones in the quarries,” said Madan Munda (45) of Sukinda.
90 per cent stone- quarries are illegal in the district. local Government officials in a clear link with stone mafias are allowing them to denude the green hillocks. Many stone quarry mafias have been illegally engaging children also to dig stones. But the officials are not taking any action against them, said social worker Sarat Jena of Sukinda.
When contacted district Collector Ranjan Kumar Das of Jajpur said, “Recently we shut down around 250 illegal stone quarries and crushers in the district. We have formed a special squad to take action against all the illegal quarry owners. We also directed the district labour office and the Deputy Director of Mining to check regularly illegal quarries.”