Pathanamthitta: The Kalanjoor Grama Panchayat in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district has granted permission to the financially embattled Adani Group to conduct quarrying in inhabited areas near Injappara for the next five years.
The Panchayat granted Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited permission to operate on 11.5-acre revenue land.
Kalanjoor has been facing many environmental issues due to excessive quarrying for a long time and the residents have also been protesting against the same.
The Janakeeya Samiti (people's council) here has opposed the move, stating the panchayat decided to permit the Adani group company to operate a quarry on the government land without discussing the plan with its members.
Earlier, the panchayat had denied the conglomerate permission for quarrying, following which the group approached the High Court. Thereafter, the panchayat granted the permission on January 7.
The quarried stones are used for the construction of the port at Vizhinjam where the local fishing community is apprehensive about its adverse environmental impact.
Currently, the Adani Group is in the eye of a storm and the share prices of several of its entities plunged in the stock market after the US short-seller Hindenburg Research flagged the Gautam Adani-led group's 'fraudulent' activities.
