THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Defying the District Collector’s ban orders on all quarry activities at Mookunnimala, quarrying in the hills continues without any hindrance. Apart from this, the Vigilance could not resume the Total Station Survey (TSS) for assessing the actual quantum of loss incurred due to illegal quarrying activities.
It was on February 9 that the Collector banned all quarry activities at Mookunnimala with the mining permits obtained by the quarry units expiring. Instructions were also issued to the Vigilance to resume the inquiry at the hill.
However, the Vigilance team that visited the Mookunnimala on Wednesday could not resume the survey as quarrying activities were going on actively in the region. ‘’The team went for resuming the survey. But we could not start any work as quarry activities were going on,’’ said Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau SP E Sharafudeen, who is leading the probe. Some crusher units were also functioning in the hill, he told Express and added that the survey can only be conducted after all the activities are stopped.
Meanwhile, Collector Biju Prabhakar said that instructions have already been given to the Neyyattinkara Tahaslidar, Pallichal village officer and the police to ensure that no quarry activity was going on at Mookunnimala. ‘’We have also decide to provide a police picket in the region. The village officer and the Tahasildar have been asked to conduct routine checks to ensure that no quarry activity was going on in the region,’’ he said.
He also said that police protection will be provided to the survey team if they demand for it. Prabhakar said that instructions have been given to seize the vehicles engaged in quarry activities.
This is not the first time that the ban orders are being ignored by the quarry owners. Last month, the ban order of the Collector was thrown to the winds and the quarry owners continued with their activities.
Meanwhile, Mookunnimala Samrakshana Samithi activists said that the quarry activities were going on from the next day of the ban orders. They said that the District Collector, Tahasildar and the village officer were intimated about this. ‘’We even informed the police about the activities going on in the hill but no action has been taken till now,’’ they said.