THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the district administration calls for constituting a special team to keep a tab on illegal quarries functioning in the district, environmental activists and committees working against illegal quarries have expressed reservations against such a special team. A decision taken in a meeting that did not have any representation of these committees and environmentalists cannot be acceptable, they said. Stating that various studies have been conducted with regard to quarries in various places in the district, they said that all these have only remained on paper. The officials who have to implement the various probes have always kept silent, they alleged.
Western Ghat Protection Ekopana Samithi (WGPES) and Tanalvedi, the organisations at the forefront against quarry activities in Marayamuttom where the recent quarry mishap happened, alleged they were not called for the meeting which made the decision on constituting the special team. It is said five people representing various environmental organisations and others were present at the meeting.
Both organisations said that they were not aware of the persons who had attended the meeting. ‘’I was at the Collectorate but was not allowed to attend the meeting. Later I head some people representing environmentalists and the people of Marayamuttom were present,’’ said WGPES convenor Shaji Peringadavila. Similar was the view expressed by Thanalvedi general secretary S Unnikrishnan. ‘’I went half way, but returned hearing that no one was allowed,’’ he said. Shaji and Unnikrishnan alleged the district administration should have made sure the right persons were called for meetings. Organisations fighting for years for protecting the environment has been left out, they said.
Alleging the forming of a special team is just a farce and no officer has ever taken any stand against any of the quarries, they said, ‘’The Collector has now convened a team for taking on illegal quarry activities. What about earlier reports and studies that have now gathered dust?’’ Meanwhile, the Mookunnimala Samrakshana Samithi are also opposed to another probe on the quarries in the district. As far as Mookunnimala is concerned, there are several reports, including the latest from the Vigilance. ‘’It is more than eight months since Vigilance came out with a report,” said a Samithi leader. “But it still remains on paper and officers have not taken any action. The present study will also be just like any other probe.”