Tribals in Turia risk their lives undertaking illegal mining of gemstones

JEYPORE (Orissa), Oct 21: Tribals in Turia are risking their lives undertaking illegal mining of gemstones for smugglers. With the state Government indifferent to the region’s potential, the smugglers have a free run of the 45 sq km region.Dami Patra, a tribal from Parja Khudi, was recently buried alive while digging for gemstones in the mines. His death came to light much later since his employer had bought the silence of his relatives. Most of the deaths, in fact, are never reported.

In a similar incident last year, six tribals were killed and 12 injured while digging in the mines. The employers had managed to hush up the case by paying off the family of the deceased.Tribals from Potangi, Semiliguda and Koraput blocks have taken to this activity in a big way in the past three years. Sources say illegal mining has gone up since the state mines department has evinced little interest in exploring the potential of the area, saying mining here would be unviable.The presence of gemstones, particularly theCatseye variety, in Turia has lured in smugglers from Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

They work with local businessmen. That the police have failed to check illegal mining is evident from the fact that only two cases of gemstone smuggling have been registered at the Kotpad police station in the past two years. While stories of a police-businessman nexus are doing the rounds, police sources maintain that lack of adequate manpower and the location of a police post at Taupadar, 4 km from the mining site, has rendered them helpless.In view of widespread resentment following the recent death, Koraput Superintendent of Police Arun Sadangi has ordered a special inquiry.