Protest mounts against move to set up granite quarry at ecologically sensitive region in Wayanad

KALPETTA

Public protest is mounting against the reported move by a lobby to set up a granite quarry in an ecologically sensitive area at Valathur in Muppainad grama panchayat on the Wayanad-Malappuram district border.

Though the Muppainad grama panchayat had passed a resolution in 2021 against the move, the lobby obtained permission from the local body by influencing a few officials, alleged P. Hariharan, former panchayat vice president.

A few months ago, the lobby began preliminary work to set up the quarry on four acres of land near Cheerakkunnu Mattom, a part of Neelimala hills, leased from a farmer by paying a huge amount, he said.

The area was identified as a red zone in the zonation map of the District Disaster Management Authority after several landslips were reported there in 2009 and 2019, said M.M. Nageeb, convenor of an action council protesting against quarrying.

Many rivulets of the Chaliyar river originate from the Cheerakkunnu Mattom hillock, and the quarry was proposed on the fringes of the Meppadi forest range of the South Wayanad Forest Division, he added. Residents feared that the quarry would adversely impact wildlife, triggering a rise in man-animal conflict in the area, he said. “Over 200 families live within 100 metres of the proposed site, and quarrying will adversely impact them,” he added.

When the lobby started clearing the land a few days ago by felling trees, including teak, residents of Anadikkappu and Valathurkunnu areas blocked them. “We learned that the lobby had acquired all the necessary permissions to set up a quarry here,” said Shaji Lawrence, a resident. If the lobby went ahead with its plan, the residents would launch a series of agitations, he said.