Tribals living around Chhotaraipur hills in Ganjam district have united against rampant stone quarrying, complaining that it is destroying the environment and habitats of wild animals.

A Bhubaneswar-based company is quarrying the hill to use stone chips in laying a road from Berhampur to Taptapani in Ganjam district - a distance of 41 kms.

Tribals in villages like Mareibadi, Sana Buruda, Bada Buruda, Gudari, Chadeyagarada, Haladibeni, Nuagaon, Gopalpur, Basudebpur, Kandhagaon and Chhotaraipur have been agitating for a long time, Bibhisana Mallick, a tribal leader, said.

"It is not only a threat to our lives but to those of animals as well," Mallick said.

Already the habitat of the wild boar has been destroyed, he claimed adding the animals come out of their abodes and stray into villages resulting in man-animal conflicts.

The villagers recently detained the vehicles of a road constructioncompany which had secured a transit permit from the tehsildar of the Digapahandi Assembly constituency, under which the area falls, to supply stone chips.

Rabindra Kumar Panda, the tehsildar, said he had given the transit permit to quarry a portion of the hill. "There is nothing illegal and the government gets royalty from it."

Revenue Minister S N Parto, who represents Digapahandi, said, "I will examine the matter regarding the problems faced by tribals. The government will soon find a way to address their problems."