Top

Mining firms put spoke in Border demarcation survey between AP and Karnataka

The survey remained stopped for the past three months following poor response from connecting wings of AP

ANANTAPUR: The survey to fix the boundaries between AP and Karnataka in areas closer to rich deposits of iron ore has been halted following lack of tri-junction and bi-junction points and raising of objections by mining companies.

“The Survey of India could not continue survey at the controversial mining area of Obulapuram on the AP- Karnataka border for want of required information such as latitude-longitude coordinates of each GCP and for interstate boundary coordinates finalised as per Bellary RF Map of 1896,” officials explained.

The dispute over the borderline was existing for the past one and a half-decade after the previously set borders were destroyed by mining companies. The illicit mining of 29 lakh tonnes of rich quality iron ore from reserved forests had caused damage to border areas between both states.

The survey remained stopped for the past three months following poor response from connecting wings of AP. The 1896 RF Map could enable a check on the correctness of the work of erection of boundaries.

Sources told Deccan Chronicle that the Ballary district administration wrote at least three letters seeking information to complete the survey process.

Completing the survey works was of utmost priority, as per the apex court order.

There however was poor response from the AP authorities in providing information while the Ballary district administration stated it was fully supportive and wanted to complete the activity at the earliest, the sources said.

The Karnataka authorities have informed AP in December: “The Supreme Court has concluded that interstate boundary shall be as per the Bellary Reserve Forest Map of 1896 which is available in original with Karnataka.” Based on that, it was agreed between Karnataka and AP to erect boundaries as per RF Map of 1896. Erection of pillars was undertaken on alignment coordinate approved by the Supreme Court.

But, a document from the apex court granting approval to the Survey of India or a committee appointed by the apex court for this purpose, has not been received by the SoI teams to verify the correctness of the pillars and the stones erected. However, 76 pillars have already been erected.

With objections raised by a group of mining companies, the authorities have, in a letter in December last, stated that documents claimed to be the basis for undertaking the erection work were not available, and suggested that these documents be furnished to the survey team.

The process of fixing borders in between AP and Karnataka through Kodalu village in Sandur taluk of Bellary district and Malapanagudi village of the erstwhile Rayadurg taluk in Anantapur district was halted following the objection raised by the mining owners.

T. Syamsundar, a mining company owner from the border area observed that the present system to fix the border pillars wasn’t genuine. He said the mineral and non-mineral zones were not marked out in the survey.

Next Story