The Karimanal Ghanana Virudha Ekopana Samithi (KGVES) will intensify its protest against mineral sand-mining at Thottappally in Alappuzha.
KGVES chairman Suresh Kumar S. said on Wednesday that after a gap of a few months, plans were afoot to restart mining. The KGVES would prevent the transportation of mineral-rich sand from Thottappally pozhi (sandbar at sea mouth).
The decision to intensify the protest was taken on the occasion of a relay satyagraha being staged under the aegis of the KGVES against the mining completed three years earlier this week.
The protest began on June 10, 2021, two years after the State government issued an order to remove sand from Thottappally pozhi in May 2019 in the name of disaster management (flood mitigation in Kuttanad).
The government later reached an agreement with the Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML), allowing the public sector undertaking to extract sand from Thottappally.
The KMML, within its capacity, struck a separate deal with the Indian Rare Earths Limited, making it a joint venture. The agreements have been renewed every year since then.
The KGVES alleged that indiscriminate mining had destroyed the shortline and rendered several families homeless. It urged the government to provide an initial compensation of ₹25 lakh each to families who lost their land and homes due to mining. The KGVES will file cases demanding compensation for the families, Mr. Kumar said.
The samithi, last year, moved the Supreme Court against the mining. The case is pending before the apex court. It has also filed a separate case before Lokayukta.
Denying that it permits mineral sand mining at Thottappally, the government has termed the sand removal from pozhi as desilting. .
Published - June 12, 2024 06:59 pm IST
