Thalassery Sub Collector Sandeep Kumar has imposed a ban on laterite stone mining activities at Navodaya Hill and Cheruvancheri owing to concerns over illegal operations in the area. The decision was taken during a meeting held at the collectorate on July 26.
Illegal mining at Navodaya Hill poses a significant threat to several institutions, including Navodaya School, Mahatma Gandhi College, Shanthigiri Ashram, and the Bio-Resource-cum-Agro Service Centre. The principal of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya highlighted the health and mental stress experienced by students and staff members due to laterite stone mining in the area, prompting the submission of a formal complaint to the District Collector.
Additionally, land acquisition measures are on for establishing a Kinfra industrial park in Koothuparamba constituency, with 506 acres in Cheruvancheri, Puttur and Mokeri villages earmarked for the project. Kinfra officials have warned that continued illegal mining could render the area unsuitable for development.
The ban also aligns with the 2013 Kasturirangan draft report, which classifies Cheruvancheri village as an ecologically sensitive area near the Western Ghats, where mining activities are prohibited.
