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A report submitted by District Collector John V. Samuel to the State government has reportedly flagged lapses on the part of the Department of Mining and Geology in permitting soil extraction at Mattappally in Palamel grama panchayat, near Mavelikara.
The report pointed out that the department issued the mining permit without following the standard operating procedure laid down by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. It also noted that the department ignored an earlier study conducted by the Centre for Earth Science Studies pointing out Mattappally’s fragile ecology.
The government sought a detailed report from the Collector after residents hit the streets in protest against the removal and transportation of soil from Mattappally by levelling a hillock. Earlier, the Kerala government and the High Court permitted soil extraction from Mattappally. The residents, however, have filed an appeal in the court challenging the single Bench order.
Residents fear that “indiscriminate” mining would be detrimental to the environment and result in an acute drinking water shortage in the region. Meanwhile, the indefinite day-night protest against the mining under the aegis of Samyuktha Samara Samithi completed 11 days on Thursday. The mining has been halted since November 27 following the protest.
