The district administration has decided to shut down four out of the seven quarries in Kunnathukal panchayat which have been found to be functioning illegally. Speaking to the media after a meeting at the Collectorate to discuss the issues surrounding the deaths of two workers at a quarry in the panchayat last week, District Collector K. Vasuki said stop memos had been issued to these illegal quarries.
Squad formed
An inter-departmental squad has been constituted to conduct a probe on all the quarries in the district. The squad will have officials from the police, health, revenue and mining and geology departments. In light of reports that quarries have encroached upon puramboke land, orders have been issued to ascertain the extent of such land and provide demarcations within 15 days.
The Collector has called all the owners of quarries and crushers in the district for a meeting at the collectorate on December 8. The owners have to produce permits, No Objection Certificates, affidavits explaining the safety measures taken and the latest photographs of the quarries.
“Right now, we don’t have a clear number of the illegal quarries in the district. After December 8, when they produce documents, we will have a proper idea. Checks will also be done to ensure that even the legal quarries are functioning with the required safety features,” said the Collector.
P. Asok Kumar, District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram Rural), said the police had conducted 79 raids in quarries across the district over three days.
A sum of ₹1 lakh each had been handed over to the families of the two deceased as compensation, said C.K. Hareendran, MLA. The possibility of a larger amount was being looked into, he said.
Activists’ charge
Meanwhile, activists of the Sasthampara Protection Council alleged that they were not allowed to participate in the meeting. “The administration did not want to hear us. Representatives of quarry owners participated in the meeting posing as local residents,” said T. Kumaradas, a member of the committee.
