Soil excavation at Pannikottumala near Pannikottu Temple in Vadavukode-Puthencruz panchayat has been stopped after a local inspection found that the quantity removed did not match the permit issued by the panchayat, Mathrubhumi reported. Residents had blocked the activity after heavy tipper trucks damaged the approach road and left it covered in mud.
The excavation was taking place beside the road leading to the Mothal Cultural Centre. Residents said the movement of large tipper vehicles had worsened the condition of the road, prompting a local protest and intervention led by panchayat member K.A. Divya.
According to the report, the hill, which originally covered approximately five acres, was close to being completely cut away. The extraction was being carried out under a permit issued by the panchayat. However, after the activity was found to be unauthorised, the panchayat member wrote to the panchayat secretary seeking an official inspection.
The letter requested that an assistant engineer verify whether the excavation had been carried out in accordance with the dimensions and quantity permitted by the local body. The assistant engineer visited the site on Friday and directly examined the excavation area.
The inspection found that the soil had been removed beyond the quantity specified in the permit, according to Mathrubhumi’s report. Following the site visit, the assistant engineer instructed that excavation be stopped for the time being.
The incident places the local panchayat’s permit and inspection responsibilities at the centre of the dispute. While the activity had initially proceeded under a local-body permit, the subsequent inspection identified a mismatch between the approved quantity and the excavation carried out at the site.
The reported road damage also shows how soil-extraction activity can create immediate civic consequences beyond the excavation plot. Heavy vehicle movement has affected the route to the cultural centre, while mud deposited on the road has created difficulties for people using it.
The report does not specify the total quantity of soil removed, the permit’s validity period, whether any penalty has been imposed, or what restoration measures will be required for the hill and the damaged road. The immediate administrative action recorded is the direction to stop further excavation pending the authorities’ next steps.
