Kozhikode: Amid an ongoing protest at Pozhikkavu hill in Chelannur, the Kozhikode Sub-Collector has directed the construction company involved in the NH widening project to take immediate safety measures to protect the residents and the local environment.

On Thursday, Sub-Collector Harshil R Meena visited the site, where unregulated earth mining for the NH project has raised safety and ecological concerns. The mined soil, extracted for construction purposes, has left the hill unstable, endangering nearby residents.

The Sub-Collector met with representatives of the grama panchayat and the Janakeeya Samara Samithi on Wednesday and instructed the company, Wagad, to implement geologists’ recommendations.

Key directives include:
- Increasing the number of protection walls on the hill's demolished area from two to four.
- Reinforcing the hill’s base wall with granite.
- Enhancing the drainage system to prevent muddy water from spreading into residential areas.

Chelannur grama panchayat president PP Nousheer, standing committee chairman P Suresh Kumar, District Geology Officer CS Manju, Minister AK Saseendran's representative Vinod Kumar, and NH Project Director Ashutosh Sinha were present during the site visit.

Protest over ecological concerns

Residents near Pozhikkavu hill have been protesting the mining, citing ecological destruction and safety risks. The extraction of tonnes of soil has left the hill in a precarious state. Backed by the grama panchayat, the residents formed the Janakeeya Samara Samithi to demand immediate action.

The protests intensified after a December 2024 march led to a standoff with police. Mining operations were temporarily halted following reconciliation talks mediated by rural police.

While the geology wing has outlined safety measures for the construction company to follow, the Janakeeya Samithi alleges that the company is implementing these measures minimally to pacify the protesters without resolving the underlying issues.