30-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
SHRC orders probe into Pullampara quarry blasts, seeks vibration tests and SEIAA clearance check
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has ordered the district collector to initiate an immediate inquiry into complaints regarding safety concerns arising from a quarry near Pullampara. The commission has designated the deputy collector in charge of disaster management to lead the investigation.
Chairperson Alexander Thomas has told the collector that the inquiry should address allegations that explosions from the quarry have caused cracks to appear in nearby homes. He instructed that the report be submitted within six weeks and that it include verification of whether the quarry holds valid clearance from the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to operate.
Additionally, the commission has asked the Pullampara grama panchayat secretary and the district environmental engineer to participate in the site examination. Authorities are also required to notify local residents, including the complainant, Dr S Anas, who raised concerns about the safety of families living nearby.
The collector has told the commission that Dr Anas resides within 150 metres of the quarry and he has confirmed the presence of cracks in his home. The quarry owner has been directed to conduct blasting and vibration tests through a government-approved agency to determine if the damage is attributable to the quarry's operations.
Residents of Pullampara have alleged that panchayat secretary P Sunilkumar renewed the quarry's permit for an additional year without the approval of the governing committee. Approximately 50 homes in the area are at risk due to their location on a vulnerable slope, with at least 15 already showing signs of cracking. Last year, a landslide from the quarry area destroyed two houses, though seven people, including four children, were rescued in time.
Panchayat president P V Rajesh has claimed that Sunilkumar bypassed democratic processes in extending the permit and has indicated that legal action will follow. Under an interim order from the Kerala High Court, the quarry's permit is valid only until May 26, 2025. Local residents have accused the quarry management of using a 2018 Environmental Clearance with misleading information regarding the distance to residential areas to secure permit extensions.
