Pullampara Quarry: Centre's Intervention Brings Hope For Kani Tribals, Locals
For centuries, the Kani tribal community, one of Kerala’s oldest indigenous groups, has lived in harmony with the nature in various parts of Thiruvananthapuram. With a population of over 16,000, the Kani people are known for their deep knowledge of medicinal plants, subsistence agriculture, and a way of life rooted in nature. One of their settlements, often small hamlets of a dozen families, dot the valleys and lower slopes of Venkamala hill. But today, their — of over 25 families – survival is under threat – not from natural shifts, but from the constant tremors of a quarry blasting through their heritage.
Nestled just below the quarry is the 400-year-old Venkamala Devi temple, a spiritual centre for the Kani tribe and a symbol of religious harmony. The temple, sometimes called the “Guruvayoor of the Kani community,” is also archaeologically significant. It is being reported that people from other religions and customs are not just welcome but are active members of the temple and festival committees, and designated praying spaces allotted to them during rituals.
But its sanctity is now overshadowed by fear. Barely within 50 metres, the Neenu Crusher Industries quarry rattles the earth every day with explosions, as reported in January this year by Timeline.
The Vengamala hill is considered the sacred foundation of the Vengamala Temple. It is a steep hill that starts from the temple and rises to a height of 1200 feet at a 90-degree incline. The quarry is located at its base, adjacent to the temple. Years of intense rock quarrying have turned this entire hill into an ecologically fragile area. It is now in a state where a major landslide or mudslide could occur at any moment, either towards the temple or the other side. The quarry’s operation is destroying the hill we hold sacred and is leading to other major environmental impacts.
Since 2018, villagers and Kani temple authorities allege that the quarry operated on a falsified Environmental Clearance (EC) issued by the District Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA). The clearance, now widely discredited, claimed the nearest temple was 3 kilometres away and that no human settlements existed within 2 kilometres. It made no mention of the tribal hamlets or the Venkamala temple lying directly beneath the quarry, on a precarious 90-degree incline.
The consequences caused by the illegal quarry have been devastating. In October 2023, a landslide triggered by the quarry’s operations destroyed two houses. Though lives were saved thanks to quick-thinking neighbours, it was a chilling warning. Residents, including tribal communities and nearby Dalit households, have since reported structural damage to over 50 homes. Deep cracks now line kitchen walls, roof plates have collapsed mid-sleep, and tremors are recorded at all hours—morning, noon, or night. “It comes like a sudden bang on your head,” says Pushkala L., a local resident told the media in the past.
The ecological toll is equally severe. Continuous blasting has altered the region’s geological structure, making it vulnerable to further landslides. Quarry debris is routinely dumped into streams feeding the Vamanapuram River, the primary water source for bathing and drinking during dry months. Rainwater accumulates in deep pits left by quarrying, forming unstable pools that amplify the risk of erosion. Waste particles pollute the air, affecting respiratory health in vulnerable age groups.
What fuels local outrage further is the continued operation of the quarry despite a March 2024 rejection of its EC by the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). Though the original permit from DEIAA was outdated and allegedly forged, Neenu Crusher Industries has continued operations under an interim court order. Panchayat-issued stop memos have been ignored or revoked. Locals claim that state authorities, including the panchayat and geology department, were complicit in neglecting safety warnings—even after the 2023 landslide. Pullampara Panchayat Standing Committee Chairman Sreekandan had formally raised concerns in March 2023, but they went unheeded.
Now, for the first time in years, there is a glimmer of hope. On July 8, 2025, the Impact Assessment Division of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued an official notice to the state’s mining and environmental agencies, acting on a grievance filed by Adarsh, Secretary of the Venkamala Bhagavathi Temple Trust. The complaint, registered under PMO Grievance No. PMOPG/E/2025/0091034, accuses Neenu Crusher Industries of unlawful mining in the ecologically fragile Venkamala hill region. The Centre has directed Kerala’s Mines Department, Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, and the Kerala State Pollution Control Board to examine the complaint and submit a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR).
In the letter, the Joint Director of the Impact Assessment Division, Dr Krishnendu Mondal, noted “serious environmental concerns” and emphasised the urgency of responding in line with existing environmental regulations. The ministry has asked for the latest status report of the quarry site and called on state agencies to inform the complainant about the steps taken.
This central intervention, after months of neglect by the state authorities, marks a significant shift in a struggle that locals say has lasted over six months. “We’ve tried every possible channel — from the human rights commission to the district collector. But nobody listened,” a local resident told Timeline. “Now, with the Centre stepping in, we finally have hope.”
Meanwhile, life continues under constant fear. Tribal families are being forced to consider relocation. Young couples are reluctant to settle here, and property values have plummeted. “Nobody will buy this land or marry into a place like this,” laments a young person, pointing to the wide cracks zigzagging through her home.
