Illegal soil mining leaves villagers struggling with dust and noise in Honnali

Davanagere: Residents of Kumbaluru village in Honnali taluk of Davanagere district are facing severe hardship due to alleged illegal soil mining activities taking place near the Chinmuladri hill region.

Villagers say continuous movement of tractors transporting soil day and night has turned life miserable, with dust and noise pollution affecting their daily routine and health.

According to local residents, the scenic Chinmuladri hill, which usually turns lush green during the monsoon and serves as a habitat for birds and wildlife, is now witnessing rampant illegal soil excavation.

Hundreds of tractor loads of soil are allegedly being transported from the hill region every day. Villagers claim that tractors operate continuously throughout the day and night, creating unbearable noise and spreading thick dust across the village roads and houses.

Residents say the dust has become so severe that they are unable to sit, sleep or even eat peacefully inside their homes. “No matter where we touch inside the house, dust sticks everywhere,” complained villagers, expressing anger against the authorities for allegedly failing to stop the illegal activity.

Locals also alleged that when villagers attempted to stop tractors from entering residential areas to reduce dust pollution, some tractor drivers picked arguments and behaved aggressively, claiming they had the right to use the roads because they paid taxes.

The situation has reportedly led to repeated confrontations between villagers and tractor operators over the past few days.

Apart from illegal soil transportation, villagers complained that many tractor drivers move through the village playing loud music systems, further disturbing residents during day and night hours.

People in the village fear that elderly residents and children may develop health complications due to constant exposure to dust pollution.

Villagers alleged that despite repeatedly bringing the issue to the notice of concerned officials, no effective action has been taken so far to stop the illegal mining and transportation activities.

Residents are now demanding immediate intervention from the district administration and stricter monitoring to prevent further environmental damage and public inconvenience.