Kozhikode: Residents of Chengodumala in Kottur grama panchayat will approach High Court to cancel a granite stone mining license.
Delta Rocks Products which won the license hasn’t started quarrying due to the stiff local resistance.
There were many complaints against the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) permit as it has no expert member on it.
Kozhikode district forest officer (DFO) informed the district collector that DEIAA ignored the guidelines in granting the license.
“For mining on private property within 10 km from a wildlife sanctuary requires National Board for Wildlife permit. Chengodumala is 8 km from the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, and the permission has not obtained,” says the DFO's letter dated September 22.
The DFO also points out several anomalies in the functioning of DEIAA. The body has given license to eight quarrying activities in the district flouting rules.
“At the beginning itself, we had raised doubts. The district collector should immediately revoke the license,” said V.V. Jineesh, the chairman of the action committee against mining. The district collector had visited the site and hinted at further studies, but nothing has taken place.
The district collector is the chairman of the DEIAA.
The DFO submitted a preliminary inquiry report to the district collector urging to withdraw the permission and a detailed study.
“There is substance in the plaint of residents that the permission was without a study by a competent authority. Also, the area has biological importance, demanding a detailed study,” said DFO K.K. Sunil Kumar.
The 2, 4, 17 wards of Kottur panchayat have resolved against mining, besides the Ooru Koottam of the Karimbla tribal community.
