Thiruvananthapuram: The mining and geology department will henceforth insist on first understanding the impact of quarrying on the ground water level before the grant of mining licences. As it stands, no such information is available. The ground water department had, in a note to the environment department, stated that quarrying might lead to depletion of water table. However, the department said that it had not conducted any specific studies to back its claim.
A good part of the state is covered by laterites, which according to geologists act as a good aquifer system. “What mining essentially does is the largescale removal of laterite hillocks resulting in the depletion of the groundwater table,” said Jacob Elamaran, a geologist. The assessment of groundwater is done in other states. The state environment impact assessment authority of neighbouring Tamil Nadu, for instance, insisted on the ground water level before issuing environment clearance.
“However, the department of mining and geology, which issues quarrying permits, did not inform the lease holder the level of ground water in any of the quarrying sites where permits were granted. The groundwater department has not done any scientific studies to back its claim but has received several complaints regarding decrease in the storage capacity of wells due to quarrying.
An inhabitant of Kannimangalam in Ernakulam district, for instance, had complained that the working of a granite building stone quarry and crusher unit close to his residence had reduced the water level in his well. In fact, the public in Kozhukkalloor village in Kozhikode district has complained that they have been forced to depend on distant sources to fetch drinking water after the quarrying of laterite from a nearby hill caused depletion of water level in their wells. Again, Priyadarshini Cultural.
