The Hindu : Kerala / Kollam News : Dharna to save Maruthi hillock

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kollam

Dharna to save Maruthi hillock

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, JAN. 25. Activists of the Maruthimala Samrakshana Samskarika Samithy have alleged that official orders have been violated and wanton granite quarrying operations were taking place at the Maruthi hillock in Muttara, near here, since the past couple of days.

This afternoon while a quarry was being blasted, a boulder went flying and crashed into a house situated quite a distance away from the site. Inmates of the house had a narrow escape. However, the roof of the house was badly damaged. The owner of the house, Padmavathi, has lodged a complaint with the Pooyapally Police. The general convener of the Samithy, Odanavattom Vijayaprakash, said that last week a boulder had hit another house in the area. In a statement here today, Mr. Vijayaprakash said that the quarrying activities were creating serious environmental problems in the area.

The hillock, which has mythical importance, is slowly vanishing from the landscape as a result of the activity. The samithy members and environmental activists had launched a series of agitations to save the hillock. Mr. Vijayaprakash said that they had even obtained a High Court order to prevent quarrying activities and preserve the hillock. The local grama panchayat had also passed an order banning granite quarries in the region. Mr. Vijayaprakash said that in protest against the alleged the laxity of the Pooyapally Police to enforce the law at the Maruthi hillock, environmental activists will stage a dawn-to-dusk dharna in front of the police station on February 3.

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