Kollam: The Kerala Legislative Assembly’s environment committee chaired by Mullakkara Ratnakaran MLA convened a meeting at the Kollam collectorate on Thursday to study environmental impact in the district. The committee mainly focused on the pollution by Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd (KMML) in areas including Alappadu and Karunagappally and the pollution and impact at the mining sites of Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IRE). The committee. after hearing the complaints from the victims in these areas, directed KMML and IRE to submit reports on the operation of the factories and its impact on the public in terms of pollution.
The committee paid keen attention to the issues of Manroe Thuruthu, the sinking islands in Kollam. The residents there face the threat of inundation of their houses and agricultural lands by the saline water of Ashtamudi lake. It has been suggested that environmental friendly house construction be adapted in the islands. The representatives from Manroe Thuruthu including panchayat president Binu Karunakaran also raised their long-pending demand of declaring a special package for the islands.
The unscientific mineral sand mining taking place at Alappadu and Ponmana by IRE led to several families abandoning the place after several rounds of unfruitful protests. At the same time, Panmana panchayat near Chavara faces the aftereffects of pollution from KMML. The committee witnessed authorities justifying their acts by saying that they abided by the law of the land to carry out these activities including unscientific mining and pollution.
