Scientific solution for granite waste sought

Ongole: District Collector P Raja Babu has asked scientists at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (CSIR AMPRI) in Bhopal to research granite waste from Chimakurthy so it can be reused sustainably.

The collector held a video conference with CSIR AMPRI director Dr Thallada Bhaskar from his camp office in Ongole on Monday evening.

Speaking during the video conference, Raja Babu said granite mines, quarries, and polishing units around Chimakurthi have operated for nearly four decades, and their waste has become a major problem.

He said tonnes of wet waste, called granite slurry, come out as a white liquid during polishing. Stones and other solid waste pile up. Nearby land has become heaps of waste and is unusable.

Dust from dried slurry and polluted water are harming the local environment, he said.

He requested the director and the team of scientists to study the slurry and stone waste from the quarries and polishing units. He asked them to give a report and guidelines on how the waste can be turned into building materials that do not harm the environment. He further said the district would adopt waste management measures based on the scientists’ suggestions once the research is complete.

Mines and Geology Deputy Director Ramachandra, APIIC Zonal Manager Madan Mohan and District Industries Officer Srinivasa Rao took part.

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The Hans India