The Hindu : Village threatened by sand-mining

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 16, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Village threatened by sand-mining

By Maleeha Raghaviah

KOZHIKODE FEB. 15. The Kolavipalam fishing village, near Payyoli, faces the threat of being effaced if the present rate of uninterrupted sand-mining from the Kottappuzha estuary continues. Despite a High Court ban, sand-mining is on in full swing off the Kolavipalam beach.

The village, comprising 150 families, is a strip of land between the sea on the west and the Kottappuzha River on the east. It is an ecologically fragile region. Local residents say the land here has been receding at an alarming rate since the last few years, as a result of wide-scale sand-mining from the river.

More than 500 lorry-loads of sand are mined and transported every day. At any given time, as many as 25 boats are seen engaged in sand-mining and as many boats transport the sand to the nearby `kadavus' (ferry) which fall under the Payyoli grama panchayat and in the Vadakara municipality.

Last year, an expert committee, set up under the new law governing the mining of sand from rivers, in which two members of the Theeram Nature Conservation Society were represented, had taken a decision not to allow any mining in the estuary area in keeping with the order of the High Court. However, it was decided to allow mining of 25 loads of sand a day from an earmarked area in the river, subject to vacation of the stay by the High Court.

Environmental activists allege that the authorities, which are to enforce the High Court order, issue passes for the sand mined from the estuary on receipt of royalty and other fees. It may appear an irony that the village, which was in the forefront to conserve the nesting habitat of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, is itself now endangered by the mining of sand. Besides, none of the residents are engaged in sand-mining.

Kolavipalam village has been in the news for the pioneering efforts it made since 1992 to conserve the highly endangered Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the area. This was done without any assistance from outside agencies. The society has released more than 30,000 hatchlings into the sea.

According to the villagers, the vast sandy stretches beyond the sea wall has disappeared, and more than 5,000 fisherfolk on the 22-km. coast between Thikkodi and Chombala have been deprived of their livelihood for want of fish landing centres. They now have to go to far off fishing harbours in hired vehicles. The sea wall built at a huge cost has sunk and disappeared on a 2- km. stretch on the beach and the newly constructed road to the estuary has been washed away.

Another phenomenon experienced is the high salinity in the water in the wells due to the loss of filtering sand. The residents now have to fetch water from distant places. The residential area on the beach, which did not fall under the Coastal Regulation Zone earlier, now falls within the rules, due to the disappearance of the sandy stretch beyond the sea wall. As a result, permits for house construction are not being sanctioned.

A site study conducted by the scientists of the Zoological Survey of India, Regional Station, Western Ghat Division, Kozhikode, under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, had warned that the Kolavipalam fishing village would be submerged, and disappear if sand- mining operations are not stopped immediately. No action was taken on that report, or on the innumerable petitions submitted to every authority by Theeram avers M.T.Suresh Babu who heads the core group.

Theeram then approached the High Court in 1999, and later initiated contempt of court proceedings for violation of the court stay.

It is alleged that the district authorities in violation of the report of the Pollution Control Board, and Mining and Geology Department took a decision on the disposal of the original petition, to permit mining of 25 loads of sand a day. Theeram challenged this directive, and a court stay was obtained against the order. The district authorities in the affidavit filed, had maintained that no mining was going on at the estuary.

Despite the long-drawn struggle, mining goes on and no respite seems in sight. Those spearheading the protest were physically assaulted many times. Many turtle eggs were also destroyed and the casurina and mangrove saplings planted by them were uprooted.

The Kottakkal, Kolavipalam stretch is in a highly degraded state because of human interference. Nearby, the Iringal rock, the watch tower of the naval warlord, Kunhali Marakkar, has been quarried and transported, creating deep pits on it. In addition, at Kolavipalam, the Ooralungal Labour Contract Society is carrying on mining operations. This has resulted in the water level in the wells going down.

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