THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: From a distance, the Kunj Ayiravalli hill at Pullampara looks like a postcard interrupted by an ugly scar -- a quarry cut into its top, with heaps of soil piled along the edge of the mining site. For residents living downhill, however, the concern is not about the loss of a scenic view but what happens when the next spell of heavy rain arrives.
“All it will take is a continuous rain for two to three days -- all that soil and rocks will come down our way. What are they waiting for, another Kalladi?” asked a resident, who stays within 500m of the Maruthummoodu Quarry here.
The piled-up soil from the hilltop gushed down in the recent rains, making the agricultural land directly below the quarry unfit for farming, a landowner said.
The issue of soil being deposited in large quantities at the hilltop was found to be valid, according to a letter sent by the Pullampara grama panchayat secretary to the director of Mining and Geology and Pollution Control Board member secretary on May 8, 2026. The documents also state the risk of retaining the soil there, as heavy showers could cause it to collapse, damaging the agricultural land and nearby residents. However, no action seems to be taken, as large piles of soil can still be seen at the top of the quarry area.
Complaints have been given to almost everyone, including Chief Minister V D Satheesan and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala; however, the lives of Pullampara residents appear to be stuck somewhere between the red tags of government files.
Another quarry, which earlier worked less than 490 metres from the current one, had caused damage to nearby houses -- completely damaging one and severely affecting another -- in the rains of October 2023.
The water and debris from the old quarry flowed downhill and that adds to the anxiety of the residents here.
Residents also have complained of cracks appearing in houses and persistent dust from quarrying and transportation activities. A letter from the panchayat also records complaints about damage to nearly 25 hectares of paddy fields due to soil and rocks flowing downhill during rains. Complaints from a nearby mosque and the Pullampara Service Cooperative Sangham were also mentioned in the document.
At 80, Mohanan Nair (name changed) lives alone in a house located higher up the slope. Pointing to cracks on the walls, above the windows and even on the floor, he says the damage has developed over the past year, around the time the quarry began functioning. These cracks have added to residents’ fears about the impact of blasting and quarrying on their houses situated on the hill.
A deeper dive into the government documents reveals that the quarry project in itself was, and still continues to be, opposed by the local body members. The panchayat secretary’s proceedings on August 19, 2024 state that the assistant commissioner had reported the area, where the quarry currently functions, to be ecologically sensitive and has a 60-degree inclination. The report also states that a new quarry would completely disrupt the water flow in three tributaries to the Vamanapuram river. As another monsoon spell approaches, the residents’ question is: how much more damage will it take before something is done?
