The Samyuktha Samara Samithi temporarily called off their agitation against soil extraction by levelling a hillock at Mattappally in Palamel gramapanchayat, near Mavelikara, after a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday stayed the mining activities.
The Bench consisting of Chief Justice A.J. Desai and Justice V.G. Arun asked the Industries department Principal Secretary to form a four-member committee and prepare a report on the soil mining and submit the same to the court before the next hearing in the case on January 4, 2024. The committee has been asked to visit Mattappally if needed.
Earlier, the Kerala government and the High Court permitted soil extraction from Mattappally. This led to huge protests in the region. The Division Bench issued the interim stay order after considering a petition challenging the Single-Bench order. The Court put a stay on soil extraction after considering a report submitted by District Collector John V. Samuel.
The Collector’s report flagged lapses on the part of the Department of Mining and Geology in permitting soil extraction at Mattappally in Palamel grama panchayat, near Mavelikara. The report pointed out that the department issued the mining permit without following the standard operating procedure laid down by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. It also noted that the department ignored an earlier study conducted by the Centre for Earth Science Studies pointing out Mattappally’s fragile ecology.
Residents fear that “indiscriminate” mining would be detrimental to the environment and result in an acute drinking water shortage in the region. The mining at Mattappally first came to light after residents clashed with the police on November 10. Later, soil extraction was suspended, which was later extended through a decision taken by an all-party meeting held on November 16. However, the contractor resumed soil extraction from the hill on November 27 forcing residents to hit the roads in protest. They launched an indefinite day-night protest, which was suspended following the court order.
