Blunt Times Impact: Surat administration swings into action, stops illegal activity of lifting steel slag from Hazira sea bed

Surat/Hazira (Gujarat): The Surat district administration swung into action to stop the illegal activity of lifting the steel slag from the government land on the Hazira sea bed following the report published in The Blunt Times on Saturday.

The humming of trucks and JCB machines could be heard from afar in Hazira village, as vested interests worked overtime to load massive amounts of illegally dumped steel slag lying on the Hazira sea bed. Even though The Blunt Times blew the whistle on the Surat district administration about the ‘Slag Mafia’s heinous intentions to rob the government exchequer of crores of rupees and sell off the steel slag to make large fortunes, the activity continued till Saturday morning.

On Friday evening, Jignesh Patel, executive magistrate of Choriyasi taluka informed TBT that permission was not given to lift the steel slag but to clear the garbage and filth from the sea bed. “We will ensure that the illegal activity of loading the material from Hazira sea bed is stopped. We have not permitted them to lift the slag, but to remove garbage and filth as prayed by the villagers living close to the sea bed” stated Patel.

Jignesh Patel, executive magistrate of Choriyasi Taluka visited Hazira sea bed along with the police and drove away the unscrupulous elements lifting the steel slag from the government land on Saturday.

The question now is whether the Surat district administration will take legal action against the villager identified as Umesh Patel and Kalpana Patel—residents of Hazira village—for misleading authorities in the name of clearing garbage and filth in the guise of lifting steel slag at the behest of the Slag Mafia.

According to sources, the Slag Mafia transported steel slag from the Hazira seabed to Chennai for further processing. Once processed, the massive amount of slag would fetch them millions of rupees. Millions of tonnes of steel slag have been lifted from the seabed in the last few days by more than 200 heavy vehicles, JCBs, and Pokelan machines.

Talking with TBT, district collector Ayush Oak said, “Part of the sea bed belongs to the State Government and it is our responsibility to stop the transgression in any form. We will ensure all possible measures to curb the illegal activity going on the Hazira sea bed”

It must be noted the steel slag or waste material dumped illegally on the Hazira sea bed has courted controversy in the past. Some activists in Hazira raised objections against the illegal dumping of the steel slag stating that it has destroyed the flora and fauna and the entire marine ecosystem, and caused irreparable damage to the environment.

Dipak Patel, an activist in Hazira said, “How can an executive magistrate permit the villagers for lifting garbage from government land in Haizra? Did the Choriyasi mamlatdar visit the spot to find out what kind of garbage it is? I have written to the Gujarat Maritime Board and asked for information in the RTI on how the steel slag was allowed to be dumped on the sea bed?”