Bleak days for black granite

Ongole, Nov. 25: The global meltdown has badly affected the exports of the world famous galaxy granite from Chimakurthi of Prakasam district. Chimakurthi, located about 25 km from Ongole on the Kurnool Road, is famous for a rare type of black granite which is not found anywhere else in the world. It is exported to all corners of the globe.

However, production has diminished by almost 80 per cent in the last two months because of fall in orders from China, European countries and the United States. There are fears that the 45,000-odd persons who depend on the granite industry for their livelihood will slip into joblessness soon. Black granite from Chimakurthi is often used in decorative applications and luxury floorings in many countries.

For the last several years, around 170 granite quarries used to produce around 40,000 cubic meters of black granite per month and much of it was exported to foreign countries. This has fallen to 15,000 cubic meters this month. "We have lost orders from China, Germany, the US, and other countries," said Mr R. Lakshminarayana, secretary of Chimakurthi Galaxy Granite Quarry Owners’ Association.

"If the situation continues, we will be in real trouble." The glut comes after a peak. The industry was flourishing in the last few years because of the large-scale purchase of black granite by China for construction activities related to the Beijing Olympics. Annual business of black granite in Chimakurthi almost touched Rs 500 crore. "This has changed and it will take nearly four to five years to regain the earlier volume of business," said Mr S. Raghava Rao, a quarry owner.

Mr C. Ramachandra Reddy, assistant director of mines in Prakasam, added that the government stood to lose huge revenue because of the slump. "We can’t expect to get the proposed Rs 10.67 crore as royalty this month," he said. While exports were high, the quarries used to engage 20,000 persons to work with compressors, excavators, tippers, dumpers, loaders and cranes. Heavy vehicles used to carry the boulders to the Surareddypalem railway station, 35 km away, for onward transport to Chennai.

From there it was shipped to China, Italy, Germany, the US and other European countries. Apart from this, 500-odd polishing units engaging 12,500 people are also dependent on granite exports. The sudden slump is causing much distress to all of them, particularly to crane operators, diggers, excavators, miners, truck loaders, cutters, grazers, and truck drivers. "Already, about 10,000 people have lost their jobs," said Mr B. Joga Rao, a digger who now works in a hotel. "Our work was dangerous and caused health problems. But we used to be paid for it."

From hamlet to ‘global’ village

Ongole, Nov. 25: Until two decades ago, Rajupalem Lakshmi Puram, Ramatheertham and Chimakurthi were nondescript villages. But things suddenly changed when a unique form of granite was discovered in the 1,000 acres of land contiguous to these villages.

The hard rock, which has a shining black surface with copper-coloured spots when polished, transformed the poor villages into a hub of economic activity. Land in these villages contained an estimated 8.6 million cubic meters of the lustrous granite, which was aptly named black galaxy because of its "cosmic" look. Soon, hectic mining activity started in these villages and they were on the road to prosperity.

Local people say that villagers had ignored the rocky terrain earlier and had preferred to settle down in arable land. In 1959, a tahsildar proposed to declare it as assigned wasteland but seven Brahmin families applied and got pattas for 300 acres of the rocky land. Later some of them surrendered the land. The then village munsi, Mr Guda Venkateswarlu, who retained the rocky land, was the first person to venture into the granite industry. He started excavating stones which were used for all purposes.

But the real value of the granite was realised only when some Japanese businessmen visited Chimakurthi in 1989 and placed a big order. Other enterprising persons experimented with the rocks and found that it yielded the sparkle only when cut at a particular angle. Hectic business activity and major exports started from 1990.

Later, politicians also dabbled in the business leading to the boom. The Darsi MLA, Mr Buchepalli Subbareddy, of the Congress and the Telugu Desam leader and MLC, Mr Siddha Raghava Rao, are actively engaged in the granite business.

A rocky road to fortune

Ongole, Nov. 25: Recently, the mines department in the state discovered enor-mous granite stocks beneath the road between Chimakurthi and Rajupalem-Laksh-mipuram. The department estimates that if the granite is excavated form beneath the road, the government could earn a royalty of at least Rs 500 crore.

To take out this granite, the mines department has proposed to construct a bypass road for the use of motorists. The roads and buildings department has agreed to hand over the road if the mines department bears the cost of building the bypass. Officials are now proposing to construct the bypass road from the 19th-km point to the 28th-km point on the Ongole-Kurnool Road skirting the Chimakurthi village.

The bypass road will take off 6 km away from Chimakurthi and will join the original road before the Musi bridge. It is estimated to cost Rs 20 crore, but the mines department feels that this is peanuts when compared to the possible revenue from export of granite.