No eco clearance to IRE in Alappad

Kollam: The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has confirmed that  it has not given environmental clearance  to the Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IRE) for mining at Alappad. It is the responsibility of the district administration and the local body concerned to take action against the illegal mining, it said in an RTI reply.  This has exposed the  false claims raised by the ruling party supporting the mining.

According to the CRZ-1 notification by the Ministry of Environment, Forest  and Climate Change, the mining site at  Alappad,  which is a sea coast, requires impact an study before  an environmental clearance is issued.

The SEIAA has maintained there is no environmental clearance for mining in land areas (resurvey No. 8/70 to 8/175 of block 8) under Alappad village in Karunagappally taluk.

Meanwhile, the expert committee constituted to conduct a study on Alappad issue has not included any representative from the people’s protest council violating the promise given to them. “Our major demand raised in the meeting convened by the industries minister was to include representatives from the council and the local people who bear the brunt of illegal mining. The committee that includes two MLAs has not even recorded our grievances,” Alappad protest council convenor K.C. Sreekumar told DC. “Most of them who try to sabotage the protest have connections with the IRE and  accept  perks from the company in various forms,” he alleged.

The relay hunger strike   against black sand mining at  Alappad  completed 147 days on Wednesday.

The organised protest that started on November 1 became a massive movement under ‘Save Alappad, Stop Mining’ campaign with various social and cultural activists declaring solidarity with the people of Alappad, despite sabotage attempts by the local body and bureaucrats.

The Alappad grama panchayat in Karunagappally taluk is a narrow strip between the TS canal and the Arabian sea  in coastal Kollam.