The situation is rather calm now at Naduvathur in Keezhariyur grama panchayat in Kozhikode district where local residents and the management of a quarry at Anappara were in loggerheads, after Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) C. Biju served stop memo on the latter until it furnished proper documents.
However, locals claimed that they were being haunted by the police and charged with non-bailable offences.
The RDO along with Geology Officer P.C. Rashmi and Revenue Inspector K. Praveen Kumar had visited the site on Tuesday. They interacted with women who had been at the forefront of the fight against the quarry. The women complained to the RDO about cracks on their houses and wells. The officer later visited the houses and took stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, the quarry management could not furnish documents pertaining to mining permit, and hence the stop memo was served on it.
The RDO said the premises of the quarry would be further assessed once the documents were available. He also sought the opinion of local political leaders on the issue. A meeting will soon be convened by the District Collector to clear the air.
Incidentally, a majority of men who were part of the protest have gone into hiding after the police booked them under non-bailable offences.
At present, women are leading the agitation.
