Villagers Pray To Gandhi To Stop The Quarry Blasts In Anakapalli
The blasting operations of the quarry have already caused significant damage to the lives and homes of the villagers. Cracks have developed in the walls of 40 houses, and the Ramalayam temple has also suffered structural damage.
Visakhapatnam: On Gandhi Jayanti, residents from the tribal, Dalit, and low-income communities of Rajannapet and Gadaba Palem villages in the Rolugunta mandal of Anakapalle district gathered to appeal to Mahatma Gandhi for protection against the destructive blasts from a nearby black stone quarry. They adorned his portrait with garlands and prayed for the safety of their homes and children.
Currently, permission has been granted to extract black stone from a 4.79-hectare site in Survey Numbers 216, 231, and 232 of the Sarpavaram Revenue area. The quarry borders Rajannapet and Gadaba Palem, where more than 300 residents from the Gadaba and Bhagata tribal communities, Dalits, and other marginalised groups reside.
The blasting operations of the quarry have already caused significant damage to the lives and homes of the villagers. Cracks have developed in the walls of 40 houses, and the Ramalayam temple has also suffered structural damage. The loud explosions have not only damaged televisions in several homes but have also left young children deeply frightened. Despite repeated complaints made to the district collector and the Narsipatnam RDO, officials inspected the quarry site but neglected to address the damage to the homes. It was only on September 8 that the Rolugunta mandal revenue officer visited the affected houses, yet no report has been forwarded to higher authorities. This ongoing inaction has heightened the villagers’ frustration and strengthened their demand for the immediate cancellation of all 40 quarry permits.
The protest was led by former ZPTC member Bonangi Rama Lakshmi, who symbolically called upon Gandhi to intervene and safeguard their lives.
