portable crusher is an important industrial sector in the country engaged in producing crushed stone which acts as raw material for various construction activities such as the construction of roads, bridges, buildings, canals, etc. It is estimated that there are over 12 000 stone crusher units in India. Their number is expected to grow further keeping in view the future plans for development of infrastructure of roads, canals, and buildings that are required for the overall development of the country. The portable crusher sector is estimated to have an annual turnover of over Rs. 5000 crores (equivalent to over US$ 1 billion) and is, there- fore, an economically important sector. It is estimated to be providing direct employment to over 500 000 people engaged in various activities such as mining, crushing, transportation of mined stones and crushed products etc.
In Andhra Pradesh, there are more than 1400 quarries, which cater to the needs of railways, road construction and maintenance, housing and infrastructure building. Rock quarrying around Hyderabad has seen tremendous growth in the last decade or so. This is mainly because of the growing urbanization, enormous demand for housing, and the abundant availability of rocky hills in the surroundings.
The Government has initiated a few measures, but these are limited to licensing by different departments. The Centre for Resource Education, CRE, is a non-governmental organization working on environment and development issues in Andhra Pradesh. In December, 1999, CRE initiated a study of the rock quarrying industry around Hyderabad with a view to develop an information database, which would help facilitate discussions between the various stakeholders of the industry. CRE believes that this will also help in initiating measures to protecting the environment while enabling the development of a dynamic and responsible stone quarrying industry, thereby also ensuring the welfare of the workers....