VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, June 24: The Enforcement Directorate is learnt to have asked the Sahibganj district administration to furnish details of explosives procured by some of stone mining lessees for the purpose of blasting in the past couple of years.
The investigation has pointed out that at least four mining lessees procured huge quantities of explosives for the purpose of mining. But the agency doubts that there is a discrepancy between explosive procurement and stone boulders produced. That, lessees have shown stone production far less vis a vis quantity of the explosives procured by them. Such discrepancies indicate the possibility of illegal mining which the ED is investigating. It was reliably learnt that the ED has made inquiries about four to five lessees.
Besides, the agency has also inquired from the district administration about the powder factor of Sahibganj district where stone mining is mostly done. Powder factor means the amount of boulder produced through blasting by using a certain quantity of the explosive. The powder factor ratio depends upon the geographical region besides it depends upon the nature of minerals proposed to be excavated.
When contacted, Sahibganj DC Ramniwas Yadav denied having received any official communication from the ED to provide explosive procurement details. “I can’t comment because I have not received any official communication from the ED in this regard,” the DC said.
Ammonium Nitrate mixed with diesel, also called ANFO, is widely used for industrial explosion. It comes in the shape of a banana hence it is popularly called kela. For the procurement of ANFO, lessees have to submit the lease paper to the concerned authorised explosive dealer. Besides, lessees have to submit a description of the number of boreholes in the mining area and its depth. The quantity of explosive is released based on this calculation. In most of the cases lessees hire experts for safe and effective blasting and each blasting roughly costs around Rs 2.35 Lakh.
From the dispatchment place to the final destination the lessees are required to inform the concerned police stations. Besides, the dealer and the lessees will file the details of dispatch and procurement to Petroleum & Explosive Safety Organization (PESO). The details of the procurement of explosives is also kept at the concerned district.
