THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Green Tribunal will hold a hearing on April 14 to listen to the complaints and suggestions on the expert committee report to increase the distance limit of quarries to 150 meters.

According to the report of the expert committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal, quarries should be kept at a distance of 150 meters from houses and other residential places. In Kerala now it is 50 meters. If the recommendations of the report are implemented, a good percentage of quarries will have to be shut down. This will also affect construction activities. About 680 quarries are currently working. The committee reached its conclusion based on four main points. Vibration during blasting, noise, dust due to blasting, and the risk of stone chips flying out during blasting.

Earlier in the state, the distance limit for quarries to operate in residential areas was 100 meters. It was reduced to 50 meters in 2015 without scientific study. More quarries were sanctioned during this period. In 2019, on a complaint filed by a person named M Haridasan, the Green Tribunal had issued an order that quarries should adhere to the 200-meter distance limit. But the state government challenged this in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court accepted the government's argument that the tribunal did not listen to their position and did not conduct an expert study and allowed it was allowed remain at 50 meters.

Recommendations of the Expert Committee

• The blast zone in quarries should be 150 meters away from buildings. (But exemption may be allowed for buildings of quarry owners)
• The danger zone limit around the quarry should remain at 300 meters.
• Presence of mining engineers to make explosions scientific.

'The affected people can approach the court demanding compensation for the health problems they have suffered for seven years due to the reduction of the distance of the quarries without scientific study.'

-Adv. Harish Vasudevan

(Counsel appearing for the complainant)