Kollam: Intensifying protests against mining with a poll boycott call, Alappad villagers took out a march towards the collector's bungalow here on Monday.
Thangassery Infant Jesus Cathedral vicar Fr Romance Antony flagged off the march under the banner of Save Alappad solidarity committee.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader C.R. Neelakandan addressed their sit-in before the bungalow.
"The state government should issue a white paper on how the people have been benefited from mining the rare black sand," he demanded.
"The mining continuing unabated for the past sixty years gave only hardships to the coastal people. It's an organised loot."
A right to information request has found that the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) had given Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IRE) the environmental clearance for mining here.
It is the responsibility of the district administration and concerned local body to take action against the illegal mining, it says, exposing the false claims of the ruling party.
According to the CRZ-1 notification by the environment ministry, the mining site on the sea coast requires impact study before issuing a clearance.
It has no environmental clearance for re-survey No 8/70 to 8/175 of block-8 under Alappad village in Karunagappally taluk.
A relay hunger strike completed 159 days on Monday without the support of and mainstream political parties.
The 'Save Alappad, Stop Mining' campaign has now turned into a massive movement with various social and cultural activists declaring solidarity with the people of Alappad, despite sabotage attempts by authorities.
Alappad grama panchayat is a narrow strip of land between the TS canal and the Arabian sea in coastal Kollam. As per the Litho Map of 1955 by the Government of Kerala, the village had an area of 89.5 sq km.
According to protesters, the black sand mining has shrunk it to just 7.6 sq km. The narrowest part of the land strip is now just 33 meters.
According to protesters, the sea washing process by mining black sand by IRE violating the CRZ norms has made the sea to inundate the entire coast of Alappad; and Arattupuzha and Thrikkunnapuzha panchayats in Alappuzha district.
The agriculture including coconut cultivation in Mukkumpuzha and Panakkada fields have vanished from revenue records, the protesters allege.
