Official for takeover of Idukki quarry site

KOCHI: The Devikulam sub-collector has recommended to the Idukki district collector to confiscate the land used by Highrange Metal Products for running a granite quarry in the Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR) at Chaturangappara in Udubanchola taulk, Idukki district. Sub-collector Sreeram Venkatraman  in his report dated January 27 recommended  action against the promoters of the company for operating the quarry in CHR in violation of the forest protection Act, Supreme Court order and environment protection Act.

The CHR land can be used only for cardamom cultivation and all other activities are prohibited in the area. The report also stated that Highrange Metals functioned without permission of the state forest department and union ministry of forest and environment. The report accessed by the RTI activists   called for a  probe into the circumstance of the quarry and crusher unit functioning in the area for more than 10 years and to ascertain whether officials of the mining and geology, revenue and forest officials connived in any manner for facilitating the functioning of the enterprise.  

The report shows  that a person named Mohammad Iqbal of Pukamala house at Chembalam is the promoter of the venture. The company has also been accused of quarrying from two unauthorised places totalling around 0.2698 and 0.1950 hectares of land respectively. The report called for collecting royalty, fine and the price of the granite rocks from the company for mining from unauthorized places.

The total quantity of granite rocks mined  by the company has been estimated at 89,750 metric tonnes and 70,000 metric tonnes respectively. The report has been submitted to the collector for further action. The report also called for a study by the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority to evaluate the long-term impact on the environment due to quarrying and suggest possible remedial measures to mitigate the situation.