The city police have sent a report to the District Collector requesting urgent intervention to stop the removal, transport and sale of earth from Karuvalikunnu, a three-acre ecologically important hillock, near Mulavana junction. The report generated by Circle Inspector V. Suresh Kumar said a firm had bought the hillock for constructing luxury villas and allegedly entrusted it, through a middleman, to a gang to raze it to the ground. The gang profited immensely, often up to Rs.60,000 a day, from selling the earth removed from the hillock to those reclaiming wetlands for construction at Chakka, chiefly the new airport terminal, and Kazhakuttom. The police report said 'tipper lorries,' most of them sporting windshield stickers purportedly allowing entry into the airport construction area at all times, had removed more than 60 loads of earth from the hillock each day in violation of the order restricting the movement of such vehicles during rush hours. The gang used heavy earthmovers and bulldozers to flatten the hill. The round-the-clock operation had weakened the foundation of several houses in the area. The gang threatened residents who protested against the wanton destruction of the hill and those who raised concerns about the pollution caused by the almost continuous traffic of trucks carrying earth. Some residents told the police that several wells in the neighbourhood had dried up due to the dip in ground water level. The Barton Hill and Puthenpalam Bund colony gangs had fought each over the lucrative contract to flatten the hill and sell earth. In October last, the police raided the den of a gang leader at Puthenpalam colony and seized 35 crude bombs, six swords, short-handled axes, and one .22 air gun. The police said the gang had stocked the weapons to retaliate in the event of an attack from the Barton Hill gang. The police informed the Collector that the underworld feud over the sale of earth from Karuvalikunnu could cause serious law and order issues in the city.
The Hindu, 28th January 2009
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