Mineral sand dredging comes to a standstill at Thottapally

ALAPPUZHA: The dredging and transport of mineral sand from the shores of Thottappally have come to a halt since July 19 following the protest raised by the locals for the last three years.     The consent for the first phase dredging and separation of minerals from the white sand deposited at Thottappally harbour was granted by the Fisheries and Ports Department to Indian Rare Earths Limited on May 16, 2014. The IREL has dredged out at least 41, 900 cubic metres of  sand at the rate of Rs 556 per cubic metre.  In the second phase that began on August 20,  2015,  the IREL dredged another 72,000 cubic metres of sand deposited near the harbour area at the  rate of Rs 660 per cubic metre.

The second phase was underway transporting 70,000 cubic metres of  minerals out of 1,139,00 cubic metres from Purakkad coast. A source with IREL said that no intimation had been received so far for resuming the dredging which  was suspended in the wake of protest by the fishermen claiming that their shore was shrinking. Many officials deployed by the company were withdrawn. Now,  the  government has to initiate steps to resume the dredging, the source said. Earlier, the Purakad local body had protested  against the dredging citing that it was going on without its  permission.  Mr V.C. Madhu, former Purakad panchayat president,  says the sand was  the resource of the panchayat.  “The continuing transport of minerals will lead to  far-reaching  consequences in the panchayat,” he said.

The sand is being deposited as a result of high and low tides  of the sea. It should be used for levelling  areas hit by  sea erosion  like Payalkulangara, Karoor and Anandeswaram.  Or else, the entire panchayat would vanish. “We will not allow the resumption of dredging at Thottapally,” said  Mr Madhu. In 2003, the state government had decided to lease out a 17-km stretch of land from Valiyazhikkal to Thottappally to Kerala Rare Earths and Minerals Limited, a joint venture company with a  Kochi-based private firm holding majority stakes, to conduct mineral sand mining for 20 years.

According to a private study, in the northern portion beyond Kayamkulam and extending up to Thottappally, the heavy mineral content is estimated at 17 million tonnes out of a total raw sand reserve of 242 million tonnes. The ilmenite content in the heavy minerals is  nine million tonnes. However, following a major public agitation,  the then Chief Minister A.K. Antony had revoked  the decision.  In November 2011, a statement by then Finance Minister K.M. Mani endorsing sand mining from the sea had created  a controversy.  The centre's sanction to traditional sand mining had also given nightmares to the coastal belt.