The Hindu : River course under threat as `sand lords' reign

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 02, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

River course under threat as `sand lords' reign

By Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

Unlawful sand quarrying in progress at a private land on the bank of River Pampa at Parumala.

PATHANAMTHITTA Jan. 1. River Pampa is facing a change in its course at Parumala, near Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district, due to the official laxity in checking unlawful sand quarrying at Parumala in Kadapra grama panchayat over the past six months.

The hapless villagers of Kadapra and Parumala are left with no option when sand-filled country vessels fitted with Yamaha engines scream through the river under the cover of night. Those who had shown the courage to oppose the sand lords had to face their wrath even as the administration and the law-enforcing agency remain `hijacked' by the sand mafia with its `money power'.

The Pampa Parirakshana Samithy (PPS) Kadapra unit president, A.O. Varghese's house was attacked twice and a samithy member, Yohannan, assaulted by the mafia for protesting against the activity.

A PPS survey shows that not less than 75 houses in Wards III to VII of the Kadapra grama panchayat have developed cracks on the walls and floors, reportedly due to the indiscriminate removal of river sand from the locality.

Mining of banks: Another dangerous trend is purchase of land right on the river bank for quarrying sand after removing the upper layer of alluvial soil. At Parumala, this raises the threat of even changing the natural course of the river.

According to Mr. Varghese, the activity has been going on at a private land near the Pananannarkavu Devi Temple for the past six months and the authorities have turned a Nelson's eye to the issue despite various public complaints in this regard. The private land is sandwitched between the Parumala-Thikkappuzha paddy fields and the river. Removal of sand from the paddy fields is another major environmental hazard facing the locality and the digging of the river bank will ultimately lead to the merger of the river with the paddy fields, diverting the river course.

Church in danger: The indiscriminate sand removal from the paddy fields has begun to affect various constructions in the nearby St. Mary's Orthodox church premises. Cracks have been detected on the walls of the common vault and the compound walls of the cemetery and the matter has been brought to the notice of the Revenue authorities at Thiruvalla, says Fr. Philip Thomas, the parish priest.

``Ironically, the revenue authorities have directed the church committee members to act on their own against this illegal activity,'' Fr Philip said. ``How can we seize the boats used for sand quarrying as it may even be `manipulated' for a communal clash by vested interests,'' the priest quipped. Moreover, the church secretary, T.C. Varghese, and the trustee, Anil Mathew, have been threatened by the sand mafia for taking the issue to the RDO, he added.

Criminal elements: PPS activists say that the sand mafia has employed criminal elements to carry out the illegal activities and they have been provided with mobile phones to give `SOS messages' in the event of an `emergency'.

Mr. Varghese says that not less than 70 lorry-loads of sand are being transported in engine-fitted country boats from the private land at Parumala alone every day. The villagers lament that neither the Revenue authorities nor the police have dared to check the illegal activity despite repeated pleas from various quarters.

A few months ago, a young sub-inspector, Nandanan Pillai, who made an attempt to swoop on the sand mafia at Parumala had to seek shelter in a nearby house and `escape' from there by calling in additional police force.

There are allegations that many revenue-police-local body officials and local political leaders are on the pay role of the sand mafia. The PPS unit had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, during his previous term as Chief Minister, detailing the villagers' woes, but to no avail.

``Many times the eco-group and others have laid down the woes of the villagers in black and white before the district authorities. But neither the District Collector nor the district police authorities have turned up at the problem-hit areas,'' alleges Mr. Varghese.

Though there are reports of criminal hideouts in and around Parumala, the law-enforcing agency could not make its presence felt in the area.

``We were of the hope that Mr. Antony, at the helm of the Home Ministry, along with a DGP like Joseph could do a better service to us,'' says a retired school headmaster of Parumala.

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