The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) will reconsider complaints against the State Industrial Single Window Clearance Board for giving permission to a granite quarry at Chengottumala in Kottur panchayat of Kozhikode despite the panchayat denying permission for the same.
Based on a complaint filed by Bineesh Athooni from Kottur, the SHRC had sought an explanation from the Industries Department. The Principal Secretary of the Department informed the commission that the application for the quarry was under the consideration of the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority even though the permission had been granted by the Single Window Clearance Board four months ago.
The people of Kottur panchayat had formed an action committee to fight against the quarry named ‘Delta Rock Products’ three years ago. Mr. Athooni said the quarry management had procured 4.8 hectares from local people saying they were to use it for farming.
Delta Rock Products had first approached the District Single Window Board for clearance for the quarry, which was denied on the grounds that there were loopholes in the application. Later, the company approached the State board, which demanded a certificate from the owner of the quarry that there was no human habitation within 200 metres of the quarry. The application was cleared but a permission from the Environmental Impact Assessment Authority is awaited for the quarry to start functioning.
Mr. Athooni, in his complaint, had questioned the decision of the Single Window Clearance Board on the grounds that it had challenged the decision of the local body. Besides, the Single Window Clearance Board, meant to clear projects with an investment of more than ₹15 crore, taking special interest in clearing a project that had an investment of just ₹2 crore was illegal. The project, which was in the red category, being approved without environment clearance, was questionable, he said in the complaint to the SHRC.
He said that the quarry would affect 2,000 families of the panchayat.
Kottur is one of the panchayats in Kozhikode district that have a large number of quarries and is the worst affected by them.
The SHRC will reconsider the case in its sitting to be held in Kozhikode next month.
