On January 7 this year, two marble mines (no. 44 and 45) in the Chak Dungri range in Makrana, Rajasthan, collapsed, taking down with them a closed railway line and a section of a marble-cutting unit, which is more than 45 metre away. In a miracle of sort, however, nothing happened to the labourers working there. The collapse was reportedly due to a blast.

There is, however, no guarantee that something like that won’t happen again, which may prove fatal to those working there, for the authorities do not seem to have taken any lesson. Illegal mining in the area beyond the allotted boundary is rampant with scant regard to safety norms, turning the mines into death traps where a tragedy is just waiting to happen.

There are 55 mines on a seven-kilometre stretch, parallel to the Makrana-Parbatsar railway line, which was closed down a decade ago. Over the years, several mine owners have gone beyond their demarcated limit right under the railway tracks and even beyond them, with the authorities feigning ignorance and in some cases helplessness.

Known for its white marble reserves, Makrana is a small town in Nagaur district, with a deposit of 56 million tonnes and 40,000 labourers working in 400 mines in the several ranges of the Aravallis. Makrana, along with Rajsamand, are the main centres of marble in Rajasthan. Calcitic in nature, Makrana Marble is regarded as the oldest in age and finest in quality.

Rajasthan contributes 50 per cent of total value of minor mineral production in the country and accounts for 95 per cent of India’s total marble production. Marble reserves in India are estimated to be 1,200 million tones, of which nearly 91 per cent are in the state. The present rate of marble production from Makrana is 1.20 lakh tonnes per year with an annual revenue of Rs 36 crore.

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