The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has reiterated the recommendation made by an expert committee to fix the safety distance between stone quarries and residential or inhabited areas in Kerala at 150 m.
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The panel was appointed by the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in New Delhi after it had observed that the existing safety distance of 50 m from the boundary of the quarries prescribed by the State government was highly inadequate.
The CPCB seeks to reiterate the findings and recommendations of the joint committee in its report filed on March 3, 2023, said a reply dated September 20, 2025 filed by the central board before the Principal Bench of the tribunal.
The panel report stated that rock blasting should not be allowed within the radial distance of 150 m from quarry blasting zone, if there are houses or structures not belonging to the mine owner within this distance. Thus, if the blast zone is in the periphery/ boundary of the quarry lease area, the distance criteria of 150 m has to be maintained from the nearest house/ structures not belonging to the mine owner, it said.
The committee recommended that special precautions must be taken during blasting within the danger zone. The stone quarry operators have to engage qualified mining engineers for overall supervision of routine blasting in scientific manner as per the CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research assessment report and also for ensuring compliance to the by-laws of regulations governing the minor mineral extraction issued by the authorities. Regulatory checks and surveillance mechanism should be strengthened by the mining regulatory authorities for effective enforcement of stone quarry regulations, it said.
The Kerala government had opposed the panel recommendation to fix a safety distance of 150 m between stone quarries and residential or inhabited areas. It had alleged that the panel report contained flaws in many aspects and there is no need to enhance the present regulatory distance of 50 metres between quarries and residential areas.
Published – October 10, 2025 02:07 pm IST
