Chengodumala residents move HC against mining

Kozhikode: The residents of Chen-godumala in Kottur grama panchayat have filed writ petition at High Court to cancel the license granted for granite stone mining. The petition will be considered on Wednesday. Delta Rocks Products, a private company had won the license for quarrying but hasn’t started due to the stiff resistance by the local people, grama panchayat and political parties.

According to the action committee, the license was given by District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) and there are a plethora of  complaints against the ‘assessment’ made by the authority. DEIAA has been functioning without an expert member as the appointment was stuck in legal wrangle and such a body’s permission has raised eyebrows. Kozhikode District Forest Officer (DFO) has pointed to the district collector that DEIAA has not considered many guidelines in granting license.

“In the beginning itself, we have raised doubts over the license given by DEIAA. The field inquiry has been done after giving the license. That is a grave lapse,” alleged V.V Jineesh, the chairman of the action committee against mining. The district collector, also the chairman of DEIAA, had visited the site and hinted for a further study on the issue, but nothing has taken place.

The DFO has submitted a preliminary inqui-ry report to the collector urging to withdraw the permission and conduct a detailed study.