Kerala - Kochi   

Cooperative for quarry explosives

KOCHI: In order to store and supply the highly hazardous explosives required for the hundreds of stone quarries in Ernakulam district, a cooperative society is being set up with branches at major quarrying centres.

The society, to be launched later this month, will store licensed explosives and supply them to the quarries at regular intervals depending on their needs.

The setting up of the society, which will act as a centralised agency, will be a major step in checking accidents during storing and handling of explosives. It will also take care of the quarry owners’ long-standing grievance of anomalies and corruption in issuing licences for explosives.

The concept of the society was mooted by the All-Kerala Karinkal Quarry Association, which is miffed at the stringent controls as well as bureaucratic delay in issuing licences.

However, it was after a State-level shutdown agitation by the association members, especially in Ernakulam district, in January that the government took a positive view of the idea.

At a meeting called by the Industries Minister and attended by senior bureaucrats as well as association functionaries to end the agitation, the cooperative society idea was accepted.

The government side contended that since the restrictions and controls on issuing individual explosives licences could not be eased in view of the possibility of abuse for terrorist activities, licences could be given to a registered cooperative society.

Such societies, consisting of quarry owners, could be set up at district or taluk level or even at major quarrying centres. Already, a district-level society was functioning in Wayanad.

Ernakulam district Karinkal Quarry Association functionaries told The Hindu that apart from the district-level society, several branches would be opened where magazines would be kept so that smooth and timely supply of explosives could be ensured.

By scientifically storing the explosives, the society could check accidents while handling.

The quarrying industry in Ernakulam district, which employs up to 10,000 workers, had slipped into a deep crisis following two quarry accidents that killed six workers three weeks apart in December-January. Following the accidents, government authorities stopped the functioning of many quarries, though the ban was lifted later.Resistance to quarrying by local people and environmental groups has also been on the rise because of noise pollution and other health hazards.

An assault on mediapersons from a TV channel last month, allegedly by persons hired by a quarry, had triggered popular wrath against the quarries in the district.

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