Residents and local representatives have marched against a proposed quarry at Palissery in Angamaly, alleging that rock extraction on a steep slope above a government hospital, school and low-income housing colony could create a serious public-safety risk.
The march was organised by the Janakeeya Samithi, or People’s Committee, which has called for the immediate intervention of the district collector, the local MLA and the panchayat to stop quarrying at the site. The protest committee said the proposed quarry is located directly above the Palissery government hospital, a government high school and a housing area known locally as Laksham Veedu.
According to the committee, the site is on a sharply inclined area from which large boulders could fall downhill. It alleged that rocks have already been blasted and accumulated without adequate safety precautions, creating a risk for people and buildings located below the slope. The committee warned that continued mining could lead to a major accident, though the report did not include an independent assessment of the site or an official confirmation of the alleged safety conditions.
The locations identified by the protesters are public facilities and homes used by people living in the surrounding area. The committee said hundreds of patients seek treatment at the government hospital and hundreds of students attend the government high school below the proposed quarry site. The report did not provide the distance between the quarry and the facilities, details of the quarry’s operating permit, or information on whether an environmental or mining safety inspection has been conducted.
Ward member K.P. Anish inaugurated the protest. Former ward member Ranitha Shabu presided over the event. Janakeeya Samithi convener Shaju Kuzhukkaraan, panchayat member Shaju Melappilly, former members Johny Maippan, K.K. Murali and Mary Antony, and public activists T. Soman, Joby Joseph and Aishwarya Laiby addressed the gathering, according to the report.
The dispute places the responsibilities of several institutions at the centre of the issue. The panchayat has a local administrative role, while the district administration and elected representatives have been asked by the protesters to intervene. The report does not state whether any of these authorities have issued an order, inspected the site or responded to the demands.
The immediate question is whether quarrying can continue safely above a concentration of vulnerable public uses, including a hospital, school and residential housing. Establishing that would require an official site inspection, verification of the quarry’s approvals and a technical assessment of slope stability, blasting practices and protection measures. The protest committee has demanded that mining be halted immediately, but no decision by the district administration, MLA or panchayat was reported.
