Youth have been visiting open quarries filled with rainwater for a swim and following incidents of drownings in quarries and water bodies in the State, locals in Pernem have appealed to the State government to seal all open quarries in Tuem and Parsem.
Recalling the tragedy of four students who drowned in a query at Tuem in 2019, locals claimed that though four years had passed since the incident, there had been no action to seal off the quarry. There is also a waterfall near the quarry, which attracts many picnickers. There have been attempts to fill the quarries with garbage and mud but locals have suggested that instead of filling up these open queries, they can be sealed with iron nets from the top.
Tuem Panch Uday Mandrekar said filling the query is not the solution, because a lot of soil would be required to fill it.
“Instead, the government can cover the quarry with an iron net and seal it. Many times, even cattle and other animals have fallen into the quarry and have died,” said Mandrekar.
Uday Mahale suggested that stone quarries should be covered by May 30 before the monsoon sets in.
“And if this is not done, the quarry owner should be penalised,” he said.
