Complaints against quarry: SHRC demands probe reports

T'puram: State human rights commission (SHRC) instructed Chadayamangalam grama panchayat secretary to present responses from various departments regarding complaints submitted by locals against a black stone quarry. These complaints allege that the black stone quarry in Chadayamangalam is causing environmental pollution, affecting residents.Commission member V Geetha directed that the documents be presented at a sitting in Kollam. If there is a high court order permitting the quarry's operation, a copy of the order must also be submitted, according to the commission. The action follows a complaint by a resident who claimed that pollution and dust from trucks heading to the quarry make living conditions unbearable. The panchayat secretary informed the commission that the high court has granted permission for the quarry's operation from May 2023 to July 2027. The quarry owner has not violated any licensing conditions. Complaints raised by residents against the quarry have been forwarded to various departments that issued mining permits, but responses have not yet been received, the secretary stated. The report mentions that further actions based on the complaints will be taken with the approval of panchayat committee, as directed by relevant department heads. This led to the commission's directive to submit the reports.