Seven Workers Killed in Tavarekere Quarry as Government Fails to Trace Owners

Seven workers were crushed to death last week at a stone quarry situated between the Thippagondanahalli and Manchanabele reservoirs in Tavarekere, located in western Bengaluru. Following the fatal accident, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar promised the strict enforcement of mining regulations, but the state government has yet to trace the owners of the illegal quarry.

The tragedy in Tavarekere highlights the ongoing safety hazards and lack of regulatory oversight in Karnataka's expanding quarry sector. The industry has grown rapidly to meet the demand for manufactured sand (M-sand) in urban construction due to a shortage of river sand. However, this growth has resulted in recurring fatal accidents across the state.

The recent deaths in western Bengaluru echo a similar tragedy in 2021, when six quarry workers were killed in a gelatin-stick explosion in Hirenagavalli, Chikkaballapur district. Another explosion in Shivamogga that same year also claimed six lives. Although the government promised strict safety measures after those incidents, illegal operations have persisted.

While some operators, such as Raghavendra Reddy of Bhramaravasini M-Sanders in Hirenagavalli, state that safety monitoring by the Director General of Mines Safety has improved since 2021, systemic issues remain.

The state's failure to regulate the sector dates back years. In 2006, a committee led by retired forest officer U V Singh investigated 484 quarries in Kanakapura taluk. The committee found that 807 acres of the 2,493 acres under quarrying were encroached forest, revenue, or patta lands. Additionally, 65 quarries were operating entirely without licences.

In 2023, the state cabinet approved a one-time settlement scheme to regularise violations at around 3,000 quarries by collecting Rs 6,000 crore in penalties. However, the scheme has failed to gain traction, with only Rs 3 crore collected so far, leaving thousands of quarries operating without proper oversight.