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Close connected the heels of the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) searches astatine aggregate locations crossed bluish Kerala districts past week successful transportation with the seizure of a ample cache of explosives from Chemmad successful Malappuram connected February 7, 2026, the constabulary person stepped up surveillance astatine granite quarries successful Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
The stepped-up monitoring is focussed connected the transportation, retention and usage of explosives procured for quarrying operations, pursuing unconfirmed reports that legally procured quantities could beryllium diverted for anti-social activities. Police sources said peculiar inspections would beryllium conducted to verify banal positions and guarantee compliance with statutory regulations governing the handling of explosives.
Officials said documents required for the proscription and retention of explosives would beryllium scrutinised during inspections covering astatine slightest 200 quarries successful delicate areas. Any violations detected would invitation stringent ineligible action, they added.
“In the past, determination were a fewer superior complaints against a conception of large-scale quarry operators regarding violations of explosive rules astatine blast sites. Several complaints were related to excess banal and explosions beyond the permitted limits,” said a Revenue section authoritative who was earlier portion of efforts to exposure suspected violations by quarry operators successful the agrarian areas of Kozhikode district.
He said the guidelines issued by the Department of Mining and Geology should beryllium implemented successful afloat to forestall violations and guarantee strict compliance with information standards.
According to officials, complaints raised by anti-quarry enactment councils and biology forums person besides contributed to the renewed enforcement actions. Activists alleged that inspections person been slowed down successful caller months, peculiarly aft the section assemblage and Assembly elections, and expressed interest implicit what they picture arsenic the power implicit enforcement mechanisms.
“There person been isolated instances successful which explosives brought to quarry sites were recovered missing oregon stolen owed to inadequate safekeeping measures. Such hazardous materials should not beryllium near susceptible to misuse,” said a constabulary serviceman who was earlier associated with flashinspections successful the agrarian areas of Kozhikode district.
The authoritative confirmed that the constabulary were readying to analyse the credentials of licence holders and certified blast operators attached to quarry units arsenic portion of efforts to observe immoderate imaginable lapses successful the handling of explosives purchased by licensed operators.
Police sources revealed that the engagement of a Mukkom autochthonal among the 7 accused successful the Chemmad explosives seizure lawsuit had prompted determination squads to follow a “no-compromise” attack successful the ongoing inspections. Revenue squads and officials of the Department of Mining and Geology would besides enactment successful the drive, they added.
Meanwhile, a typical of the Small-Scale Quarry Owners Association said they were committed to ensuring the harmless purchase, proscription and retention of explosives arsenic a prerequisite for continuing operations. He besides maintained that quarry operators were already passing done a hard signifier due to the fact that of expanding regulations successful Kerala and that the ongoing inspections should not people lawful operators successful the field.
