In a significant development for Kerala’s mining industry, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has issued a decisive memorandum that is set to impact numerous quarries across the state. The directive, which was released on November 26, 2024, comes after a series of rulings from the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which had previously found the district environment impact assessment authority (DEIAA) lacking the legal authority to grant environmental clearances (EC) for mining operations. The new clarification now mandates that any ECs granted by the DEIAA after December 12, 2018, are no longer valid and must be reapplied for through the appropriate channels.
This order is expected to force the closure of many quarries, particularly those in Kerala where numerous mining operations continued even after the expiration of their lease agreements. The ministry’s move aligns with growing concerns about the unchecked expansion of illegal quarries, which environmentalists have long criticised for contributing to significant ecological degradation. The MoEF has affirmed that while the ECs granted by the DEIAA between January 15, 2016, and December 11, 2018, will remain valid until March 31, 2025, these quarries will need to undergo a revalidation process to determine whether their environmental clearances should be renewed by the state-level authority, the SEIAA.
This crackdown comes in response to growing public and environmental concern over the illegal mining operations that have continued unchecked, sometimes with the alleged involvement of political and business interests. Activists have long raised alarms about the illegal quarrying in Kerala, accusing both local politicians and miners of colluding to maintain artificial demand for granite, thus inflating market prices and bypassing regulatory oversight. The failure of the mining and geology department to comply with the Supreme Court’s order on this matter has been a point of contention for years.
From a sustainability perspective, the closure of illegal quarries is a much-needed step towards environmental accountability. Quarrying has led to the destruction of vital ecosystems, deforestation, and soil erosion in several parts of Kerala. The long-term impacts on both the environment and the local communities are significant, and the MoEF’s intervention seeks to address these issues while ensuring that mining operations follow the due process of environmental clearance. Moving forward, the revalidation process and stricter regulations could pave the way for a more sustainable and responsible mining industry in the state, helping to balance economic growth with ecological preservation.
