The Thiruivananthapuram district administration has directed the Neyyattinkara
Tahalsidar to file a detailed report on the quarries and crusher units that are
functioning in Mookunnimala.
District Collector Biju Prabhakar directed the Tahalsidar
on Thursday to file the report by April 25. He has asked to furnish the report
regarding the total number of quarry and crusher units along with the survey
numbers of the land where they are functioning. Even the details of closed down
quarries should be included in the report, he said. Apart from this, the
Tahalsidar has also been asked to provide details about government land,
including that of the fire force and the Army.
The collector gave the direction after a high level
meeting at the Collectorate, which was attended by officials of the Revenue
department, Pollution Control Board and the Geology Department.
Prabhakar also stressed that all the vehicles and
equipment of the quarry and crusher units that were functioning without proper
license and documents will be confiscated. Meanwhile, the officials of the
Pollution Control Board said that licenses have not been renewed for any of the
units at Mookunnimala.
The above direction gains significance in the wake of
allegations that the panchayat was going to renew the licenses of the various
quarry and crusher units. It has been alleged that the Panchayat had
recently renewed the Dangerous and Offensive Trade License to a private
quarrying group defying the Collector's orders and directives from the National
Green Tribunal.
The Mookunnimala issue has been boiling for the last many
years with the Mookunnimala Samrakshana Samithi intensifying their agitation
against all quarry activities in the hill. The samithi leaders have reiterated
that they would continue the agitation till all the quarries are stopped in the
hill. They have alleged that all the rules have been violated by the quarry owners for
the last many years and the officials had only helped the quarry mafia. They
allege that most of the quarry operators did not have the required licenses and
papers.
Source: the New Indian Express
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