Unsettling blows

THE blasting OfChandardinga hillssource of granite rocks - situated on the banksof Brahmaputra inDhubri district ofAssam has blownup into a big issue(Down To Earth,Vol 4, No 18). The matter has now beendragged to the Guwahati High Court bythe Appropriate Technology Mission,Assam, a non -governmental organisation which has filed a public interestcase against the blasting. Subsequently,the court has issued notices to the director of geology and mining of thegovernment-owned Minerals and MetalsTrading Corporation and the exporter,Rock Product Traders.

Environmentalists fear that theblasting could change the course of theriver causing environmental degradation, besides monetary losses. The hillprotects huge low-lying areas ofBilasipara sub-division of Dhubri district from inundation. Located along thenorth bank, the hill also controls thehydrological regime of one of the mosterosive rivers in the world. Environmentalists believe that the export ofgranites to Bangladesh is a ploy to makehuge profits by re-exporting them tothe Gulf.