The Hindu : Illicit quarrying goes on unchecked

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 23, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Illicit quarrying goes on unchecked

By G. Prabhakaran

PALAKKAD Oct. 22. Illicit quarrying is alarmingly increasing in the forest areas of the district. Large areas of the Forest and even Revenue lands are used for quarrying, without the permission from the departments concerned.

In fact, no quarrying is allowed in forest areas. But, such quarrying, which is a mass means of destruction of ecology, is going on unabated. Even inside reserve forests, illegal quarrying is going on.

Forest officials of the Alathur range have reported that about 20 illicit quarries were working within the vested forests of the Muringamalavaram in Nenmara forest division of Palakkad district. Though the cases were reported in November 2000, no action was taken to stop them. However cases were booked against eight quarry owners in the range.

In a place like the ecologically sensitive Nelliampathy Hills, quarries are working against all the Forest rules. The quarrying not only destroys the environment, it also scares away the animals of the area and destroys their habitat. The blasting sound is a menace to the animals and birds.

Since quarrying is a profitable business, more and more forestland is being encroached. In some cases, the forest areas are annexed using fabricated documents with the connivance of Revenue and Forest officials.

One such case has come out recently from the Muringamala vested forest in Alathur. An inquiry conducted by the Flying Squad, Palakkad, said that `No Objection Certificate' (NOC) was issued in vested forests at Muringamala, enabling some private parties to open quarries there.

The Flying Squad in its report on June 15, to the Conservator of Forests (I&E), Kozhikode, said that, "An extent of 63.70 Ha of private forest was declared and notified as vested forests of Vemballur and Muringamala as per V.F.C. item No.184 of Notification No.1383/77 of 10.10.1977. Upon an application of NOC by one P. Ramesan, the then Divisional Forest Officer, Nenmara had issued NOC for 0.9048 Ha., (2.23 acres). A preliminary verification revealed that an extent of 1.99 acres out of 2.23 acres of which NOC was issued is a vested forest in VFC item 184. This NOC was utilised by the applicant for obtaining purchase certificate No.79/1998 (pattayam) dated 18.05.98 of Land Tribunal, Kozhalmannam. Even though the NOC was issued for 2.23 acres the NOC applicant and his successor-in-interest were allowed to hold and enjoy more than 5 acres of vested forestland at Muringamala. The files connected with issuance of the NOC were not forthcoming in the respective offices and it is believed that those files were removed or destroyed by the erring officers. A preliminary investigation has revealed that a quantity of 46,378 mt of blasted granite rubble valued at Rs.39.42 lakhs was illegally removed from the vested forest area of Muringamala and 13 illegal quarries are working in that area.''

The investigation on the functioning of illegal quarries in Muringamala is learned to have established the involvement of some powerful politicians operating behind the `quarry mafia,.

The Forest Conservation Act of 1980 prohibits blasting of granite or any other such materials in the forest. No quarrying is allowed in the forest due to various ecological problems. But, in most of the forest areas, quarrying is going on in a big way, affecting the environment and its flora and fauna.

Since quarrying is big money now, very influential persons, with high political connections in the ruling circles, are involved in this illicit business, forcing the authorities to keep a blind eye on their illegal activities, it is said.

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