Mookunnimala: reports yet to be finalised

The Neyyattinkara Tahalsidar is yet to file a detailed report, including a data bank, on the quarries and crusher units that are functioning in Mookunnimala even though the district administration had given time till April 25 to file the report.

District Collector Biju Prabhakar had on April 16 directed the Neyyattinkara tahsildar to create a data bank of quarry and crusher units at Mookkunnimala, including survey number of lands owned by the Fire and Rescue Services and Defence establishments in the hill.

Though the district administration has given strict directions that there should not be any delay in filing the data and report, it is ten days that the Taluk office is yet to gather all the data. When contacted, Tahalsidar Sam L Sone said that the data is only being collected. ''We are yet to collect and coordinate all the data. The work will be completed and mostly submitted by Tuesday,'' he said.

Apart from the data on total number of quarry and crusher units functioning in the region and also about the land of the Fire Force and Army, the district collector had also asked to furnish details of closed down quarries.

Meanwhile, Prabhakar said that they were for having a comprehensive data on all the land in that area. ''There are abandoned quarries of which data was not available. The entire area should be marked in Litho. It all will take some time,'' he said and added that the process was on.

Source: The New Indnian Express
http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/488448/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/28-04-2015#page/17/1

Directions for detailed report on Mookunnimala quarries

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

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/481127/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/17-04-2015#page/17/1

Mookunnimala: criminal proceedings likely in illegal mining

In the wake of illegal quarry activities continuing in  Mookunnimala even after a ban was imposed by the district administration, various departments have filed reports against the ongoing quarry activities in the hill. It is likely that criminal proceedings will be initiated

against quarry owners in the hill.

The officials of the Vigilance, Mining and Geology Department and Pallichal Village who visited Mookunnimala on Monday prepared a mahazar and report with regard to the ongoing illegal mining activities.

Though the Vigilance team led by Circle Inspector A Rabiyath visited the hill for resuming the Total Station Survey (TSS) that it began last month for assessing the actual quantum of loss incurred due to illegal quarrying activities, they could not continue as all the quarries and crusher units were functioning in the region.

Rabiyath will file a report along with the mahazars before the Superintendent regarding the present situation and the difficulties that they faced in conducting the TSS.  Pallichal Village officer Sivakumar said that he would file a report to the Neyyattinkara Tahalsidar regarding the present situation. ''There are complaints that quarry activities were going in the night. Already a stop memo has been issued to some of the quarries,'' he said. Moreover, the officials of the District Mining and Geology department , Thiruvananthapuram district, said

that a similar report will be filed before the Director.      

Source: the New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/455016/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/10-03-2015#page/19/1

Vigilance accuses 40 in Mookunnimala illegal quarry issue; Samithi to continue agitation

After a year long struggle, the Mookunnimala Samrakshana Samithi, which is spearheading the agitation against illegal quarries in the hill, has now hope to rejoice after the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau exposed the illegal activities in the hills, accusing 40 persons for alleged fraud and irregularities in quarry operations.

Stating that it was a major setback to to Pallichal panchayat, quarry mafia, political parties and many others, Samrakshanan Samithi Joint convenor Surendra Kumar told express that they would take out a march and hold an agitation in front of Pallichal Panchayat on Monday, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused, including Pallichal panchayat president K Rakesh. Apart from arresting the accused, all their properties should also be seized, he added.

''After a year of agitation, the truth has at last come out through a government agency. We have been telling the government and all authorities concerned that the quarries were functioning illegally. The samithi has also pointed out that the quarry activities has led to environment destruction. But there was no one to hear us. But now the VACB has unearthed irregularities and we hope that the government will at least now take some steps to save the hill,'' he said.

Pointing out that the agitation will not end with the Vigilance filing an FIR in the vigilance court, Kumar said that they would continue the agitation till all the quarry activities were stopped in the hill. On strengthening the agitation, he said that in the second phase, protest marches will be taken to the house of all the 23 members of the Panchayat, demanding their cooperation in the agitation. ''The second phase of agitation has already started with a protest march to the house of Pallichal Panchayat President K Rakesh. In the first week of January, we will be marching to the houses of all members,'' he said.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/405614/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/29-12-2014#page/15/1

Mookkkunimala quarrying: Local people plan social auditing

The people in an around Mookunnimala, who are on a relentless struggle against quarrying in the hill, has decided to intensify their agitation and has chalked out various strategies even as the agitation led by Mookunnimala Samara Samithi completed one month.

As many as 500 people, including a large number of women participated in the meeting held on Tuesday. In the meeting, the samithi had decided to intensify their agitation until the closure of all quarries in the region. Apart from launching a protest in front of the Pallichal panchayat office, they have decided to take the agitation to the secretariat.

The Samithi leaders said that they have decided to conduct a social auditing of the quarries. '' The people will be given awareness classes with regard to social auditing. They would then visit the quarries and inquire if the quarries were functioning legally with all necessary licenses,'' said  Madhusoodanan Nair, Mookkunnimala Samrakshana Samithi activist and Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishat Pravachambalam Unit president. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/262151/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/24-04-2014#page/17/1

Mookunnimala Quarrying: Agitation to be Intensified

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

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/259109/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/18-04-2014#page/17/1