Abandoned quarries turning death traps for children; Green panel to enforce closure plan

Mail This Article
The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has issued a set of directives to enforce the implementation of a mine closure plan with abandoned quarries, turning death traps for children and becoming a hub of anti-social activities. The panel has directed that no EC (environmental clearance) shall be given to the project proponent for the subsequent mining projects unless the final mine closure certificate issued by the District Geologist is produced for the previous projects.
According to the SEIAA, progressive closure of the mined area shall be carried out per the approved mining plan, and closure activities shall be mentioned in the HYCR (Half-Yearly Compliance Report) for the relevant period. At the beginning of the last year of the EC period, the final closure plan has to be submitted and approved by the District Geologist within six months. The final closure of the quarry shall be carried out during the last six months of the mining period, and a closure certificate shall be produced to the authority, the directive said.
As per KMMC (Kerala Minor Mineral Concession Rules, the project proponents are bound to implement the mine closure activities and the Department of Mining and Geology has to approve the scientific mine closure plan submitted by the project proponent at the beginning of the last year of the project. District Geologists shall approve it within 6 months, and the project proponent shall implement mine closure activities during the last 6 months of the project. District Geologists have to ensure the implementation of the closure plan and issue a closure certificate.
The panel noted that, unfortunately, in Kerala, a large number of quarries are left out without implementing a proper scientific mine closure plan. As a result, abandoned mines in the state pose significant environmental, safety, and socio-economic problems. "Considering the ecological fragility and demographic peculiarities of the state with high population density, open deep pits and unstable mine structures pose a direct threat to human, domestic cattle and wildlife especially in residential, agricultural and areas abutting the forests.
Many abandoned quarries in Kerala will be filled with rainwater, creating deceptively calm pools that attract locals, particularly children and students, and many accidental deaths have been reported," the panel observed in its latest meeting.
Abandoned mines have also been used for unauthorised mining activities, leading to further environmental degradation. It is also observed that the abandoned quarries are being used for antisocial activities, thus creating law and order issues in the project region, according to the panel.