Incessant granite quarrying at Dhoni near Malampuzha during the lockdown has ignited tension in the region, with local residents raising a banner of protest under the Dhoni Protection Council.
Residents of Dhoni told the district authorities that quarrying had destroyed peace in the region, and that they were living in constant fear.
Members of the Dhoni Protection Council accused the police of backing the quarrying lobby. They alleged that two quarries were being run in violation of all safety norms. They said quarrying had affected the stability of the hills and would cause potential landslips during the monsoon.
Although quarrying had been suspended in the initial days of the lockdown, it soon resumed as people’s attention shifted to other things. The movement of heavy vehicles to transport large granite boulders has damaged roads too.
The irate residents blocked the vehicles on Sunday morning. Later, the police intervened and sent them back after warning the drivers.
However, the council leaders alleged that the police action lacked genuineness, and that they were in cahoots with the quarrying lobby.
They demanded an end to quarrying in the region, saying that houses and agricultural crops were being badly affected by it.