Ponmala: encroachment on government land identified

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor, PATHANAMTHITTA,  
The Hindu, December 31, 2015

Disproving the claims of a private granite quarry at Ponmala in Thottappuzhasserry grama panchayat near Kozhencherry, the Revenue department has found encroachment on 1.46 acres of government land by the quarry operator.

In the report submitted to the Thiruvalla tahsildar, the Thottappuzhaserry village officer has stated that the detailed investigation carried by the Revenue team has found that the disputed land that houses the granite quarry is government land with Resurvey No. 161/5. The quarry operators have also constructed an office building, guard room, and a vehicle shed on the government land, the report says.

The report has recommended action against the quarry owners, invoking the relevant provisions in the Kerala Land Utilisation Act.

The village officer also found that illegal granite mining has been carried out on government land with survey nos.169/2, 169/4 and 170/2.

Earlier, the taluk survey team too has identified encroachment on a large extent of government land on the Ponmala hill.

The survey of land held from July 21 to 31 was following a petition field by the Ponmala Nature Protection Council (PNPC) leaders to District Collector S. Harikishore.

The biodiversity-rich Ponmala stands 1,000 metres above the mean sea level.

Indiscriminate quarrying

Almost half portion of this biodiversity-rich and historically important hill has already been indiscriminately quarried away, making a mockery of the prevailing administrative system, PNPC leaders Annie Achenckunju, P.G. Pradeepkumar and G. Santhoshkumar alleged.

They alleged that granite quarrying was taking place in gross violation of the laws, after removing 20 to 50-foot thick top layer of fertile soil.

Water scarcity

Ponmala that once stored a huge quantity of water in its girth is now reeling under acute water scarcity.

Experts attribute this to the loss of water stored inside the rock through cracks developed in the chain blasting of the huge rock.

The PNPC alleged that as many as 200 families residing on this hill and surrounding areas were affected by this.

They say the village officer’s report categorically pointed out blatant violation of Mining Rules at Ponmala, besides the travails of the villagers, majority of them working class.

The Ponmala Haindava Seva Samiti too has called for immediate closure of the granite quarry on the basis of the report.