‘Illegal’ limestone quarry raided, mining equipment seized in Gir Somnath

Officers of the Somnath Marine police station raided an alleged illegal limestone mining site in Vadodara Dodiya village of Gir Somnath district and seized valuables worth Rs 12 lakh from the site, police said Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by police inspector NG Vaghela, the in-charge of Somnath Marine police station, raided an alleged illegal limestone quarry near Jivabapa temple in the village in Verval taluka Saturday. During the raid, the police officers found one Karan Chavda of Chorvad village of adjoining Maliya taluka of Junagadh district engaged in limestone mining and cutting it into building blocks.
“Upon questioning, he could not produce any documents about the lease to mine the limestone from the land which is a government wasteland,” Vaghela said Sunday.

As Chavda could not produce any documents authorising him to mine the mineral from that place, police seized two mechanised limestone cutters cumulatively worth Rs 2 lakh. Police also seized two tractor-trailers loaded with limestone, cumulatively worth Rs 10 lakh.

“After raiding the site, we called local officers of the mines and minerals department of the state government and appraised them about our operation. We have formally written to the geologist of the mines and minerals department in Gir Somnath for further action in the incident,” Vaghela further said, adding, “However, we have not received any formal complaints from the mines and minerals department about illegal mining at the said site.”