Environmental pollution in residential areas: DC asks to investigate

The Karnataka Environment Pollution Control Board has been receiving numerous complaints regarding factories in residential areas causing environmental pollution in certain parts of the district. In response, DC Nitesh Patil has instructed officials to thoroughly investigate these complaints and take necessary action to control pollution or relocate the factories.

Implementation of GPS for Mineral Transport Vehicles:

The government has proposed the mandatory installation of GPS devices in all mineral transport vehicles throughout the state. In the Belagavi district alone, 1636 vehicles have already been equipped with GPS, and a dedicated control room has been established to monitor and inspect their operations, as confirmed by officials from the Department of Mines and Geology.

Upon reviewing the information gathered in the control room, it was discovered that vehicles violating the regulations are being fined a substantial amount of 10,000 per vehicle, by the directives from the central office. Consequently, 60 vehicles in the district have already been fined and issued notices. The Mines and Geology Department officials have also highlighted the cooperation of the transport department in facilitating the payment of fines for those vehicles that have yet to settle their penalties.

Furthermore, to ensure the safe transportation of minerals for public works, it has been made mandatory for contractors to utilize the Mineral Dispatch Permit (MDP) system.

The Department of Mines and Geosciences has proposed conducting a comprehensive drone survey of all stone mining leases in the state. KSRSAC will then enter the collected data to determine the reduced level. As a result, plans are underway to conduct a drone survey of all stone mining leases in the presence of contractors in the Belagavi district, with a subsequent report to be submitted to the government. Officials have emphasized the importance of this initiative in ensuring transparency and accountability in the mining sector.