Large-scale blasting, stone mining by ‘morrum mafia’ alleged in Cuttack Banki; admin vows action

Allegations of illegal stone extraction from the Malati hill range in Cuttack district have taken a serious turn, with residents of Durgapur village under Banki tehsil alleging that a contractor authorised only for morrum lifting has been secretly carrying out large-scale quarrying of valuable stone using heavy machinery and explosives.

The controversy escalated this week after repeated complaints from villagers prompted a joint raid by local authorities, during which one machine was seized. However, the administration has not yet taken full physical custody of all equipment reportedly used at the site.

Villagers Say Morrum Permit Misused For Stone Theft

In the complaints filed with the tehsildar and the mining department, locals alleged that the contractor who won the morrum extraction bid for the Durgapur area has been engaged in unauthorised mining during late-night hours.

Locals said that while the mining department had issued a lease strictly for morrum lifting, the firm began removing large quantities of stone from Malati hill, a hillock located along the periphery of Durgapur gram panchayat. In an interaction with OTV, locals alleged that the contractor’s personnel operated excavators and drilling machines openly and used blasting charges to break large stone formations.

“To extract morrum, illegal blasting is happening at several places. This causes large-scale displacement of animals and loss of property. We have complained multiple times, but no action has been taken. We demand that any lease for morrum extraction be cancelled. The remnants of the blast also pose a risk to people’s lives,” a local said.

They also claimed that the scale of extraction far exceeded any permissible morrum quantity and was damaging the hill beyond repair.

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Explosives Raise Safety Fears

Residents of Durgapur said the alleged illegal blasting was taking place near the village cremation ground and common grazing zones, putting both people and livestock at risk.

According to the complaints, detonations caused stone fragments to travel long distances, making regular agricultural and grazing activity unsafe.

Villagers reported that domestic animals had become difficult to handle due to frequent blast sounds, and that wild animals living on the hill slopes were fleeing deeper into the forest. They also alleged that the contractor did not display any signage related to blasting schedules, safety corridors or prohibited zones, all of which are mandatory under mining regulations.

Tehsil Team Seizes Equipment

Following fresh complaints, the Banki tehsil administration conducted an inspection at the Malati hill site and seized at least one machine reportedly used for the extraction activity. However, officials are yet to fully secure all equipment on the hill or establish the total quantum of stone that may have been removed.

Santanu Das, Mining Officer, Cuttack, acknowledged signs of extraction at the location but declined to discuss the matter in detail. “I can see that morrum extraction has happened here, but I am not authorised to speak about this matter,” he said during his visit.

Villagers said the partial seizure was not sufficient and urged the district administration to conduct a demarcation survey to identify all areas where stone had been quarried illegally.

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District Collector Assures Strict Action

Cuttack Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde said the district administration would maintain zero tolerance towards illegal mining. He reiterated that only companies officially issued a morrum lease are permitted to operate within the designated zone.

“There is no scope for mafia activities. Some companies have been handed out licences and only they are authorised to carry out morrum extraction. If anyone is conducting an illegal operation, then strict action will be taken against them. We had handed out severe punishments the last time when this matter had come to our notice,” the Collector said.

The mining department is now verifying lease documents, extraction limits, the exact boundaries of the authorised morrum quarry, and whether any stone mining was carried out without permission.

As of the last reports, a detailed report from the tehsildar and mining department is expected to be submitted to the district administration in the coming days, after which penalties, cancellation of lease rights, or criminal proceedings could follow, depending on the findings.