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The Save Alappad, Stop Mining campaign is a prominent environmental and social protest movement centered in the coastal village of Alappad, Kollam district, Kerala, India. The movement is aimed at demanding a complete halt to the decades-long heavy mineral sand mining activities carried out by two public sector undertakings, citing severe coastal erosion, environmental damage, and the risk of complete displacement of the local population.[1][2]
History of mineral sand mining
[edit]Mining for heavy minerals like ilmenite, rutile, zircon and monazite in the Chavara-Neendakara-Kayamkulam coastal stretch began as early as the 1920s.[3][1] This mineral-rich sand belt is estimated to contain vast reserves of heavy minerals.[3]
The mining operations in Alappad are primarily conducted by two government-owned companies:
- Indian Rare Earth Limited (IREL): A Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Central Government's Department of Atomic Energy, which started mining in the region around 1965[4][1]
- Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML): A PSU under the Government of Kerala, which was granted mining leases in 1972[4][3][5][6][7]
Evolution of the Protest
[edit]The resistance against mining activities in Alappad is a decades-long conflict, with different phases of mobilization:[3]
Early Protests and Labor Issues (Pre-1990s)
[edit]Initial protests were primarily focused on labor and land issues, demanding better compensation for land acquired for mining and employment for locals.[3]
Intensification and Environmental Focus (1990s)
[edit]The nature of the conflict shifted to focus on environmental justice and the survival of the village.[4][3]
- The theme song of many Kerala environmental protests, "Ini Varunnoru Thalamurakku, Ivide Vaasam Saadhyamo" (Will this land be able to support the new life?), was written in 1992 specifically for the Nature Protection March against the mining in Alappad.[3]
Post-Tsunami Activism (2004 Onwards)
[edit]Alappad was the worst-affected village in Kerala during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.[3][7][1] The disaster intensified local concerns regarding the destruction of natural coastal protection and led to renewed protests.[3]
- Protestors blocked roads, demanding that sea washing be stopped and that sand be refilled to stabilize the coast, leading to a temporary closure of the sites for about two years.[3]
The #SaveAlappad, Stop Mining Campaign (2018–2019)
[edit]The movement gained national and state-wide attention in late 2018 following the launch of a powerful social media campaign spearheaded by local youth.[6][2]
- On November 1, 2018, residents, under the banner of the Karimanal Khananavirudha Janakeeya Samiti (Anti-mining People's Protest Council), started an indefinite relay hunger strike at Vellanathuruthu.[5][6]
- The strike reached its 100th day in February 2019, drawing support from environmental activists and prominent social figures.[6]
- The highly successful social media campaign "#SaveAlappad, Stop Mining" went viral, forcing the issue into the state political dialogue.[6][2]
Impacts of mining
[edit]The continuous mining activities have led to severe ecological, social and geographical consequences in the Alappad region.
Land loss and coastal erosion
[edit]Activists assert that Alappad village has shrunk dramatically due to mining-induced erosion.[2]
- According to lithographic maps, the area of Alappad Panchayath, which was approximately 89.5 square kilometres in 1955, had reportedly shrunk to a mere 7.6 to 8 square kilometres by 2017.[6][2][1]
- Villages like Panmana have reportedly vanished, turning into heaps of sand, and houses that were once kilometres inland are now close to the sea.[7][2][1]
- The narrow strip of land separating the Arabian Sea and the T. S. Canal (National Waterway No. 3) is now critically thin in some places, raising fears that a breach could flood the entire area and turn the backwaters saline.[6][2]
Social and economic displacement
[edit]The erosion and environmental degradation have directly impacted the local population, primarily comprising traditional fishing families.[3]
- It is estimated that more than 6,000 fishermen families have vacated the area over the years due to land loss, lack of fish availability and scarcity of drinking water.[7][1]
- Saline water intrusion has made the land unfit for cultivation, impacting traditional livelihoods.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "Villages vanish in this coastal district of Kerala as they succumb to sand mining". Mongabay-India. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Why is Kerala's Alappad village getting eaten up by the sea?". The Times of India. 19 January 2019. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "CHALLENGES TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY : A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF SAND MINING ON ALAPPAD VILLAGE, KERALA" (PDF). Indian Journal of Social & Political. 2024. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
- ^ a b c "Save Alappad, Stop Sand Mining, Kerala, India - Ej Atlas". Ej Atlas. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
- ^ a b "Kerala villagers form human chain to mark 1 year of protests against beach sand mining". The News Minute. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g "On 100th day of anti-mining protests in Alappad, 100 residents go on hunger strike". The News Minute. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
- ^ a b c d "Alappad: A tale of lost land to mineral sand mining". Business Standard. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 2025-11-22.