A view of the soil mine at Pozhikkavukunnu, Chelannur, Kozhikode. | Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
Local residents held a strict vigil at Pozhikkavukunnu in Chelannur gramma panchayat in Kozhikode, where excavation of soil to fill debris as part of construction of National Highway 66 has sparked public outrage.
“Although we keep asking and protesting, trucks are coming to this region to take soil. The authorities have abandoned us. We have no choice but to protect our hill ourselves,” said P. Suresh Kumar, a local councilor and one of the leaders of the protest.
Things got tense on Friday 10th January when the protest committee returned from the Civil Station, where they had conducted a march to the Collectorate demanding a stop to sand mining. “Many trucks arrived in the afternoon accompanied by the police in agreement with the authorities. We stopped them and they had to come back,” he added. Forest Minister AK Saseendran, who is also the local Member of Parliament, intervened and stopped the excavation for two days.
Earlier this week, a geologist’s report sent to the District Collector sparked protests by local residents, who accused the geologist of submitting a fake report. “That geologist had highlighted that digging the ground was done without science. However, in the second report, he said that the problems have been resolved, which is far from the truth,” said Mr. Suresh. In the first report, the geologist stated that the mines had no direct route, the boundary line was not defined, and several safety measures were missing. After this, the panchayat appointed another geologist to conduct a joint investigation. However, the two geologists failed to reach a consensus.
Mr. Saseendran had assured the local residents that he would personally direct the discussions on the matter and ensure that a peaceful solution was found. However, the protest committee remains vigilant. “We don’t trust the authorities. They failed to fulfill their previous promises,” added Mr. Suresh.
Published – January 11, 2025 09:29 pm IST