In a relief to licensed quarry owners and workers, the district administration withdrew its blanket ban on quarrying and mining on Wednesday.
The move follows a government order issued by the Disaster Management Department on September 3 directing District Collectors across the State to lift the ban.
The ban had taken effect in June following a State government circular to stop quarry and mining activities.
The State Disaster Management Department had issued the circular, dated June 21, to prevent natural disasters such as landslips and rain-related calamities in the backdrop of heavy rain this monsoon.
In the order, the department reasoned that ‘weakened monsoon and changed circumstances’ had prompted the withdrawal.
The three-month ban had seen the quarry and mining lobby put pressure on the government to lift the ban. They had cited that thousands of workers across the State had been left without work or pay.
Today’s order by the Collector would see the resumption of quarrying activities in the industry’s hotbed areas such as Kodanchery, Thiruvambadi, Nellipoyil, Kanthalad, Tinur, Vilangad, Maruthankara, and Kavilumpara — all high-range areas here.
The district was on red alert this monsoon, especially after it had seen a major landslip in 2012 in the Pulloorampara-Anakkampoyil area which claimed eight lives and caused loss to crop and property.
