Protests resume in Kerala hamlet against soil quarrying

Protests against soil quarrying from the hilly areas of this coastal Kerala district erupted again on Monday as local residents, including women and children, blocked the road leading to the site from where the sand was being extracted in connection with the construction of a National Highway.One of the protesting women, a resident of Mattappally village here, told a TV channel that even after state Agriculture Minister P Prasad directed that soil quarrying be stopped, the extraction process has not been halted.The order to stop quarrying has been widely reported.

Protests against soil quarrying from the hilly areas of this coastal Kerala district erupted again on Monday as local residents, including women and children, blocked the road leading to the site from where the sand was being extracted in connection with the construction of a National Highway.

One of the protesting women, a resident of Mattappally village here, told a TV channel that even after state Agriculture Minister P Prasad directed that soil quarrying be stopped, the extraction process has not been halted.

''The order to stop quarrying has been widely reported. Then what more does he (contractor) want? What additional order should be issued against him? ''The actual reason is that he (contractor) wants to earn crores of rupees by levelling the hills here. He will go to any extent for that. That is all there is to it,'' the woman said.

Another protester said that they would not allow any more soil to be transported from that area.

''We will do whatever is necessary and will block it (soil transportation),'' he said.

Two weeks ago, local residents, including women, had stopped trucks engaged in collecting soil, alleging that a nearby hill in Mattappally was being levelled.

The protests were held under the aegis of Janakeeya Samithi, a group of local people.