Manganese mining mafia lining its pockets

​Adilabad: Officialdom is allegedly looking the other way while illegal mining of manganese ore is taking place in Adilabad district, which has large deposits in thousands of acres, particularly in Jandapur, Rampurguda, Gotkar, Satnala project in Jainadh mandal. The officials of the Mining department confirm that such deposits are available in Kapparla, Gollaghat Tamsi, Pippalkoti in Tamsi mandal.

Traders are exploiting farmers by paying Rs 1,800 per tractor load of manganese ore, which is less than a load of sand tagged at Rs 3,000. In the process, traders earn crores of rupees by selling the ore at Rs 10,000 per load to industries.

The heavy demand in the international markets and huge market value of manganese used in aluminium production, besides in crude oil and other byproducts, has attracted the attention of the unscrupulous traders to exploit farmers.

They take advantage of farmers’ innocence and their needs, by just paying Rs 1,800 for the two to three tonnes of the ore. The traders sell the same ore in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh at Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 a tonne and making huge profits.

A farmer of Ramguda, Lal Mohammad, while talking to The Hans India, complains that traders are refusing to pay remunerative price. This low price being paid to farmers is causing huge loss to them, he pointed out. Another farmer, Rafiq, wanted the ‘mining mafia’ to pay at least Rs 5,000 for each tractor load instead of Rs 1,800.

Contractors in Rampurguda and other areas resort to manganese ore-mining without securing any permission from either the department or officials of the environment wing (which are compulsory).Besides, they do not resort to blasting. But the contractors are using blasts to extract ore. Jainath MRO Prabhakar told The Hans India that the contractors, too, don’t have any permission.

The unscrupulous traders are also cleverly purchasing farmlands, with manganese ore deposits, at Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh each, which after the sale of the ore yield crores. This is causing concern among farmers. Also, the traders leave pits in farmland unfilled after their digging, resulting in injuries to both animals and fractures to farmers.

People of the district want the administration to take a serious view of the illegal activities of the mining mafia which result in denial of royalty to the government. Environment Protection Committee Member Hemaji wanted the government to take strong action against the mafia.

The people working in the manganese mines lack even minimum facilities, like drinking water, ESI or PF. About 100 workers who toil for 13 hours get a pittance of Rs 100 each as wage. This is in sharp contrast to Rs 350 as minimum wage stipulated by the Centre.

The workers face severe breathing-related health problems. A worker, Rajayya, told The Hans India that his wage is going toward treatment.