Shivamogga: Sagar tahsildar R Pratibha on Thursday evening led a surprise raid on illegal laterite stone quarries in Brahmana Manchale, Malla and Huttadimba villages of Sagar taluk.Acting on repeated public complaints about rampant quarrying in the region, Pratibha and her team conducted the operation and intercepted a truck being loaded with illegally extracted laterite stones. The vehicle and the mined material were seized on the spot, and an FIR was registered at Sagar Rural police station, the tahsildar told reporters.Issuing a stern warning to those involved in illegal mining, Pratibha said, “We will not allow illegal mining to continue anywhere, and strict legal action will be initiated wherever violations are found.”The raid has been welcomed by local residents and environmental activists. However, residents pointed out that similar operations have been conducted in the past, with little success in securing convictions or imposing significant penalties on offenders.According to locals, enforcement is often hindered by complex land ownership and jurisdictional issues. Many quarrying sites are located on forest land, deemed forest land, or Bagair Hukum (unauthorised cultivation) land. Some sites also fall within village lake beds or buffer zones under the irrigation department, while quarrying activities come under the jurisdiction of the department of mines and geology. Although a multi-departmental task force exists to tackle the issue, residents allege that coordinated enforcement remains ineffective.Illegal quarrying is not confined to Sagar taluk. Similar activities have been reported in parts of Hosanagar, Thirthahalli and Soraba taluks as well.Speaking to TOI, Chirag of Rainland Trust said, “Unchecked mining is causing significant damage to the fragile Western Ghats ecosystem. It is leading to topsoil erosion, disrupting local hydrology and degrading forest-adjacent landscapes.”Shivamogga deputy commissioner Prabhuling Kavalikatti told TOI that he will convene a special meeting to review the issue and formulate measures to curb illegal mining in the district.
