The grama panchayat which was bound to ensure protection to the life and property of the people should immediately cancel the licence given for granite quarrying at the environmentally sensitive Chembanmudy hill, Fr. Thomas Valiyaparambil, vicar at the St. Sebastian Catholic Church at Chembanoly at Naranammoozhy in Ranni taluk, has said.
Fr. Valiyaparambil was inaugurating an indefinite satyagraha launched by the Chembanmudymala Athijeevana Samara Samiti, an all-party people’s action council, in front of the Naranammoozhy grama panchayat office at Athikkayam, near Ranni, on Monday.
The action council has launched the indefinite satyagraha demanding cancellation of the licence granted by the panchayat committee to Manimalethu Granites for resumption of granite quarrying at Chembanmudy.
Tallest hill
Fr. Valiyaparambil said Chembanmudimala was the tallest hill in the district that stood 3,825 ft above the mean sea level.
Indiscriminate quarrying of granite for more than a decade by two quarry operators from this environmentally fragile hilly tracts that came under Zone-1 as per the Madhav Gadgil Committee report had already done huge damage to the environment, he alleged.
Addressing the gathering, Pathalil Shaji, panchayat member and action council convener, alleged that hazardous silica dust flying from the quarry was a major threat to the public health in the locality. Many cases of cancer as well as skin and lung ailments were reported from the surrounding areas of Chembanoly and Vakamukku.
Both quarries had stopped operation three years ago following strong public protests.
Prince Jose, CPI(M) leader and action council secretary, presided. Suresh Mulackal of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Mariyamma Cherian, women’s wing leader of the action council, also addressed the meeting.
