more-in Protests against granite quarrying at the environmentally fragile Thudiyurulippara, near Pramadom, in Konni taluk took a new turn following a recent landslip in its vicinity. Villagers, under the banner of the Grama Raksha Samiti (GRS), resumed their agitation, demanding immediate closure of the quarry, as they fear more landslips. GRS leader Jyothish R. has alleged serious violation of mining rules and regulations at Thudiyurulippara. Many houses in the locality were flooded and damaged in the gushing of water mixed with mud and rubble in the landslip. Many people fled from their homes at the sight of the gushing water, he said. Western Ghats Protection Council district president Avinash Palleenazhikathu said the GRS had been waging a legal battle against the ‘illegal granite quarrying’ since 2004. Encroachment A Revenue Department team that surveyed the area in 2015 had found illegal quarrying on 1.77 acres of land. Of this, 93.25 cents of government land had been encroached upon without obtaining permission from the authorities, the survey team had found. Mr. Jyothish said the survey team further found that the office (survey no. 168/3) of the granite quarry operators and the crusher unit (survey no. 144/3) stood in poromboke land. He said the survey report stated that the quarry operators had quarried up to a depth of 30 m from the permitted area, though the permitted depth was 10 metres. As per a reply received from the Environment Department, the quarry operators had not obtained the mandatory environment clearance for granite quarrying at Thudiyurulippara , he said. The GRS and the WGPC leaders alleged gross violation of the mining rules and the Kerala Land Utilisation Act at Thudiyurulippara. District Collector P.B. Noohu visited Thudiyurulippara and the area affected by the landslip a week ago. Though the tahsildar and village officer submitted a report on the granite quarrying a few days ago, the Collector was yet to act on it, Mr. Jyothish said. He said that the GRS and the WGPC would continue the stir till the quarrying at Thudiyurulippara was stopped.

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