Environmental organisations in Wayanad have slammed the government for ‘failing’ to take action against the State-Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for issuing environmental clearance to granite quarries in ecologically fragile areas without conducting any impact assessment studies.
Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samithy president N. Badusha told The Hindu that the government had made the authority a marionette and processes were under way to issue permits to more than 40 granite quarries even in ecological hotspots in Wayanad. It feared that such a move would lead to the total destruction of the hill district, Mr. Badusha said.
Recently, the National Green Tribunal had directed the State government to dismiss the SEIAA and reconstituted the body for issuing environment clearance to a multi-crore real estate project in Kozhikode district by flouting all norms.
