Kannur greens march against illegal laterite mining, flag water risks

A collective of environmental organisations in Kannur staged a march to the district's Mining and Geology office on Friday, demanding an end to what it described as illegal and unscientific laterite mining that it said threatens drinking water sources and biodiversity.

The Kannur District Environmental Coordination Committee, which organised the protest, alleged that indiscriminate quarrying was causing severe environmental damage and was taking place with the knowledge of Revenue and Geology department officials. The march began at the old bus stand and ended in a protest meeting outside the Mining and Geology office.

Inaugurating the protest, T.P. Padmanabhan, director of the Society for Environmental Education in Kerala, called for strict regulation of laterite stone and soil mining and urged the Revenue, Geology and Police departments to act against the alleged exploitation of natural resources.

Committee president V.C. Balakrishnan said more than 400 laterite quarries were operating in the revenue district, while the Geology department had granted permits to only 32. Only 11 had reportedly obtained e-passes for transporting laterite. He alleged that 22 quarries were operating without any permission in Alapadamba village in Payyannur alone, and that officials were aware of the situation but had not acted effectively.

According to the committee, several abandoned quarries have become large pits, some of which are being used to dump waste. Residents reported that wells near abandoned quarries began drying up at the start of summer and that streams originating from laterite formations were drying up rapidly, leaving agricultural fields fallow due to water scarcity.

Mr. Balakrishnan said several rivers in the Kannur-Kasaragod region, including the Perumba, Kavvayi and Ramapuram, originate from midland laterite hills. He described laterite plateaus and hills as among the region's most important water reservoirs, noting that they recharge groundwater that keeps rivers flowing through summer. The formations also support microclimatic conditions and provide habitats for rich biodiversity, he said, warning that their destruction could mean the loss of opportunities to identify and document new plant and animal species.

The committee rejected the argument that laterite mining mainly serves local construction needs, claiming that more than 600 loads of laterite are transported daily to distant districts. It warned that the laterite habitat itself could disappear if the trend continues.

Committee convener K.E. Karunakaran demanded comprehensive drone and satellite-based surveys to assess the remaining laterite rock formations and hills in the district, along with a time-bound environmental and social impact assessment of the damage caused by mining in the midland laterite hills and plateaus.

District Geologist K.R. Jagadeesan said illegal quarrying was being detected and action was being taken. Enforcement, he said, involves the Mining and Geology department, the Revenue department and the police, while a taluk-level Vigilance Committee headed by the Sub-Collector includes representatives of the Pollution Control Board, local bodies and the Geology department. Inspections are conducted twice a week, he said.

The department has registered cases against illegal quarrying and is pursuing proceedings to recover penalties. The official put the number of cases involving illegal quarries at around 430 this financial year. He said action could not always result in immediate closure because a prescribed procedure had to be followed: a stop memo is issued first, followed by a show-cause notice, an opportunity for the operator to respond, a demand notice, adjudication and revenue recovery proceedings, with provision for appeal.

Mr. Jagadeesan said there were no major technical hurdles to taking action, but the procedure was time-consuming. He also pointed to manpower constraints, saying the mineral squad currently has only two personnel to cover the district.