In the wake of the district administration’s decison to review the functioning of quarries, activists of the Prakruthi Samrakshana Samiti are planning to expose the environmental hazards posed by large quarries in Mukkom village.
Samiti functionaries visited a few quarries in Karassery, Kodiyathur and Koodaranhi panchayats and assessed the environmental threats they caused in the region.
They claimed that the lives of people living in the vicinity of the quarries were at risk and urged the administration to act swiftly to avert a calamity.
“To begin with, we will organise a mass convention at Mukkom this week to explain to the public the impact of quarrying in the Western Ghat region and its connection with the recent landslips and floods.
In Kozhikode district, Mukkom village has the highest number of risky quarry projects, which will have to be shut by the authorities,” said T.V. Rajan, district Secretary of the Samiti.
He also pointed out that the rampant quarrying in ecologically-sensitive areas had already changed even the geography of several regions and affected their eco-system in a dangerous way. “The Samiti is planing similar protests in every district by identifying the most dangerous projects for government intervention,” he added.
G. Anilkumar, the Samiti’s Mukkom area coordinator, said the Geology Department’s latest report on soil piping in their area was yet to be released.
“We have serious concerns about the phenomenon, which is a looming threat to our life. The report should be published at the earliest,” he demanded.
Samiti leaders said that they would interact with the geologist’s team during its visit and convince it of the local issues for better solution.
In case of any supportive stance from the expert team for quarry operators, we will go ahead with an indefinite strike in front of the already identified quarries with the support of local people, they said.
