Tough action against quarries

KOZHIKODE: While the district administration is taking serious steps to curb the illegal quarrying in the high ranges which used to intensify during election season as the attention of the state machinery gets diverted to the election process, the mining mafia is creating much hue and cry through political groups which patronize them.

Unlike in the past the district administration is focusing at all kinds of mining material including latarite, sand and granite. In total three trucks and five mini-trucks were seized by the district administration so far and massive quarrying activities on ten acres land have been stopped. On Saturday alone the special squad seized five mini-trucks, one JCB, a pickup truck and five laterite cutting machines.

Sub collector K Gopalakrishnan who is heading the anti- mining squad has been getting frantic, endless as well as threatening calls from the concerned corners as soon as the squad started acting against the mining units, according to sources.  

Sub collector Gopalakrishnan told DC that the squad has been acting quick based on complaints received from various individuals as well as groups. “Soon our team would visit the spot and if necessary licenses are lacking stop memo will be issued to the unit after seizing the vehicles and machines”, he added.
District collector N Prasanth told DC that the trend of intensifying mining during election season has been there for the last many years.

“This time we have decided to focus at the trend as we have sufficient information that hectic preparations are being made by the mafia in the hilly regions to have a killing during the period,” he said.  

It is to be recalled that the hilly region of the district has 118 quarries of which only three quarries own all necessary licenses and the rest 115 are illegal. The number of mining units is high at Kodanchery, Koodaranji,  Thiruvam-badi, Nellipoyil, Tinur, Vilangad, Maruthan-kara, and Kavilumpara, all high-range zones.

The highest number of quarries is operated in Karassery panchayath in the district and that too on Mysurmala, an abandoned plantation land later encroached by public.