Environmental organisations in the district have urged the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) not to grant permission for resuming granite quarrying at Mandad on the Muttil Mala hills in the district. Recently, the SEIAA authorities had visited the hills as a part of studying the feasibility to grant permission to resume quarrying on the ecologically fragile slopes of the hills, Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samithi president N. Badusha said. Any move to resume the quarry unit would adversely affect thousands of families living on the hill slopes, Mr. Badusha said. The former District Collector had banned all the quarrying activities on the hills after two persons were killed in a landslip in 2018. As many as five landslips were reported near the old granite quarry unit operated on the hills in 2019, Mr. Badusha said.
The hills have a major role in determining the distribution of monsoon in the district and many rivulets of the Kabani river are originating on the hills.
Separate studies conducted by Additional Chief Forest Conservator and district soil conservation officer in the area in 2018 had reported that quarrying should not be permitted in the ecologically fragile area.
