KANNUR (Kerala)| Jul 14, 2015:
A view of the China clay mining unit of Kerala Clay and Ceramic Products Limited at Madayipara, near Pazhayangadi, in Kannur.- PHOTO: S.K. MOHAN
For the people living at Pazhayangadi, close to the China clay mining unit of the public sector Kerala Clays and Ceramics Products Ltd. (KCCPL) on the Madayippara hillock known for its rich biodiversity, the State Cabinet’s decision to keep the mining unit closed till further orders is a silver lining on the horizon.
The mining unit, which has faced protests since 1992, is now as good as closed, for the government has decided not to re-open till further orders the unit that remained shut down as part of the routine three-month suspension of processing work since June. The formal announcement of the closure of the unit will come after the Cabinet receives the report from the Industries Secretary on the rehabilitation of the existing workers and diversification.
“It is a victory for the residents and a bold decision by the government as the mining unit has continued operations, in spite of protests, on account of the support of political parties,” said P.P. Krishnan, chairman of the Madayippara Samrakshana Samithi and the Environmental Conservation Group that spearheaded the agitation against the unit. Now that the government has decided to keep the unit shut, steps would be taken to conduct a study on contamination of water resources caused by discharge from the unit and on measures for de-contaminating them.
The agitation seeking an end to China clay mining there had drawn the support of environmental activists across the country. Medha Patkar and Vandana Shiva were among those who had visited Madayipparam in support of the agitation in the early days of the protest.
The mining and processing activities at the unit have had a major impact on the water resources in the area, says Jaffer Palot, a resident of the area.
The pH value of the water samples in the area is as low as 2 (as against the normal value of 7) and the iron content is 26 mg/l while the normal rate is 0.3 mg/l, he adds.
“There will be strong reaction from the residents if the government backtracked on its decision to shut down the mining activity here,” says K.P. Chandrangadan, samithi secretary. Mining activity has damaged 500 acres of land under cultivation and made water in 400 groundwater wells in the area unpotable, he said. Moreover, the mining activities have also affected the water storing capacity of the area of the laterite hillock, he adds.
When contacted, KCCPL managing director S. Ashok Kumar said the company had not received any formal intimation about the order to keep the unit closed.
The mining unit at Madayippara is one of the five units of the KCCPL in the northern region of the State.
The impact of any formal decision for the closure of the mining unit on the performance of the KCCPL has to be studied, he said adding that the KCCP has been paying dividends to the government over the past 30 years.
(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)