Kottayam: The Mining and Geology Department of Kerala has given the green light for 885 additional quarries in the state, raising the total number of officially recognized quarries to 1,446. This significant increase follows the department’s review of 1,678 applications submitted for quarrying permits, out of which 885 were approved. These include 522 applications for laterite quarries and 1,156 for granite quarries. The remaining 376 applications are currently under further scrutiny, while 417 were rejected due to various technical issues.
As of now, 561 quarries are operating in Kerala with government approval. Among them, 417 quarries have been granted permission to operate for 15 years, while the remaining 144 have permits valid for only three years. The new approvals span across several districts, with notable numbers in Malappuram (129), Palakkad (74), and Kozhikode (67). Other districts such as Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, and Ernakulam also received approvals for a significant number of quarries.
These new quarries will operate alongside existing ones on revenue lands, where conditional permission has been granted for mining activities. The move is seen as a major development in Kerala’s mining sector, which is likely to impact various industries dependent on quarrying, such as construction and infrastructure development. However, concerns over environmental impacts and sustainable mining practices may arise as the number of operational quarries grows.
