Thottappally will not be allowed to become another Alappad, K.C. Venugopal, MP, has said. He was speaking to reporters after visiting the Thottappally harbour on Tuesday.
“The black sand mining is taking place without the permission of the panchayat and the Environment Department. The Indian Rare Earths (IRE) has been given permission for mining in a meeting convened by the government. People’s representatives including me were not allowed to attend that meeting,” Mr. Venugopal said.
The IRE had been mining sand beyond the permissible limits. “It is handing it over to private lobbies. The sand mining is leading to serious environmental issues,” he said.