Thiruvananthapuram: The Government will renew the environment nod ending this April for over 300 quarries on priority basis. Quarries supplying rocks and stone metals for government projects and national highway works will be given priority. 

Earlier, it was the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority that used to give the green nod. However, the functioning of the authority ended in 2018. Now, the State-level authority is granting the permits. 

The environment sanction for over 300 quarries, which had been granted by the district-level authority since 2017 with a validity of 5 years, will end by April 25. Only around 200 quarries can function beyond April. Cases related to the permits for 160 quarries are pending in the High Court. This year, as many as 56 quarries were given the green nod.

Meanwhile, Quarry Crusher Co-ordination Committee State convener M K Babu said the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority is sleeping on over 300 applications for the renewal of environment nod, including even four-year-old ones. He also said that owing to the scarcity of stones here, 1500 loads are being brought from Tamil Nadu on a daily basis.

However, a Study Committee on Environment Impact informed that the permits are getting delayed as the quarry owners are not submitting the required documents.

Government promises NHAI to resolve issues of soil excavation

Meanwhile, the Industrial Department officials held talks with the National Highway authorities on Saturday as the construction works for the NHs are stalled owing to the lack of permission for soil excavation. The Supreme Court had annulled the order of the Union Forest Ministry stating no environment sanction is required for soil excavation. The government promised the NHAI to resolve the issue within two or three days.