THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following reports on encroachment, illegal quarrying and environmental destruction in Mookunnimala, the Assembly Committee on Environment has decided to visit the hill on November 23 to take stock of the situation.
Ahead of the visit, the committee will be holding a meeting of the District Collector, revenue officials and disaster management in order to collect evidence. Confirming the committee will be visiting Mookunnimala on November 23, Committee chairman Mullakkara Retnakaran said the visit will be made after evidence collection.
“The committee has received a lot of complaints with regard to Mookunnimala. During the visit, we will take stock of the present situation and the gravity of the damage as pointed out in the various complaints,” he told ‘Express’.
Ratnakaran said the Samara Samithi activists and others can give representations and memorandums to the committee during the visit. He said the report will be presented at the next Assembly session. “The committee will look into all reports, including the one filed by the Vigilance, before presenting the report to the Assembly,” he added.
When contacted, Samara Samithi activists said they had given a representation to the committee around two years ago. They welcomed the committee’s decision to visit the region. They hope the committee will present a factual report before the Assembly.
The committee’s visit comes at a time when the Samithi was gearing up to strengthen their agitation. It is being alleged the district administration is yet to take any action against the encroachers and the illegal mining activities even after several negative reports came out.
In the latest survey report, the Vigilance had brought to light the encroachments on public land and revealed large-scale illegal mining activities at Mookunnimala. The vigilance had come across illegal mining activities and violation of land rules in more than 130 acres of land.
It is also alleged the illegal mining activities were done in assigned lands, which had been exclusively given for rubber cultivation. As per the Land Assignment Rules and Special Rules for Assignment of Government Lands for Rubber Cultivation Act, the land can be used for no other purposes except rubber cultivation. These lands are also not transferable.