The relentless struggle against quarrying in Mookkunimala has gained momentum with the
people in the Pallichal Panchayat firm for the closure of the quarries, which
has been causing environmental and health hazards. The residents in the
Panchayat for the last many months have been in continuous struggle even as the
panchayat authorities maintain that quarrying can be stopped once the departments
of Mining and Geology, Pollution Control Board and Revenue stops giving license
for the quarries.
Though the Mookkunnimala Samrakshana Samithi (MSS) has been staging a protest for the last many
years, they have deiced to go for a
widespread agitation, including a sit -in
in front of the secretariat until the quarry units are shut down. They
had staged asit-in in front of the
Panchayat office in the first week of this month, demanding revocation
of licences renewed to quarrying units.
Some of the Samithi leaders had even boycotted the
Lok Sabha elections. Stating that they were for the closure of the
quarries, MSS convenor Nanappan Nair said that the struggle would continue
till the last quarry stopped its activities. ''Almost 70 per cent of the hill
is gone. It is high time that the remaining hill is protected,'' he said.
Source: The New Indian Express
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