5 O TN S
The New Indian Express, Chennai, 27 June 2006
Kumari on the brink of ecological disaster
Tuesday June 27 2006 00:08 IST NAGERCOIL: The region between Chunkankadai and Thotyodu along the northern stretch of Nagercoil- Thiruvananthapuram National Highway in Kumari, is teetering on the brink of an ecological disaster, due to the ongoing, indiscriminate stone quarrying there.
The quarries are not only a danger to the biological diversity of the region but are also being considered a threat to the proposed Mambalathuru dam. According to environmentalists, quarrying could undermine the project. Traditional agriculturists in the region too see red in letting the activity continue. The wet land ecosystem of the region is dependent on groundwater resources, water flowing down the hills and fresh water ponds. Farmers lament that the quarrying has affected these water sources.
Meanwhile, some environmentalists have come out with an ecological survey report revealing the existence of a number of animals included in the schedule under Wildlife Act in the forests of the region. Local villagers say that a number of such animals are mowed down on a regular basis by stone quarry trucks.
Even the Vellimalai range that has been included in the social forestry scheme has not been spared by these stone quarries.
There is consternation among geologists too over the issue. If the activity continues, it will affect the stability of the surface, making it vulnerable to disasters like temblors, they contend.
On the health front, quarrying threatens to make asthmatics of those living in the localities due to the suspended particulate matter it generates. The high decibel blasts frequent in quarries, too, are causing hearing problems and other stress related diseases, among locals. Further, the use of explosives is said to be causing localised tremors, damaging houses nearby.
Another complaint is that the quarry wastes are clogging ducts cut to divert rain water to storage tanks. ‘‘Around 10 ponds in this area are clogged in that way,’’ said an environmentalist, who was conducting a study in the area.
District Collector Sunil Paliwal, when contacted for his comments on the issue, said that quarrying had been permitted in 13 hill villages in the district on patta lands of private land holders. Before issuing lease documents for the operations, clearance from the District Forest Officer, Pollution Control Board, Mines Department and the Agricultural Department is being sought to ensure that quarrying in the region would not have any adverse impact on the environment, he said. The clearance from the state-level committee, HACA (Hill Area Conservation Authority) is also being sought before giving lease for a period of three and five years, he added.
If quarrying, an income generation avenue for the government, is not permitted legally, it would be done by illegal means, the Collector said, assuring that the whole exercise of licensing was foolproof.
Meanwhile, Assistant Director of Mines L Selvam said, all except one quarry in the area were on patta lands and that no quarrying was being permitted in the Chunkankadai hill ranges. He added that all the quarries would be closed down when the implementation of the Mambalatharu dam project began.
Talking to this website’s newspaper, district Forest Officer I Anwardeen, while accepting that indiscriminate quarrying could lead to environmental degradation, averred that no quarrying was taking place in forest areas.
Forests are all on the other side of Thotyodu, and near Mukkadal dam, he said, adding that pythons and other small mammals could be found in most parts of Kanyakumari district, as the district has a rich green cover.