Order of the National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone Bench, Chennai) in the matter of M.P. Muhammed Kunhi Vs Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change & Others dated 10/05/2016 regarding river sand mining in Valapattanam river in Kannur District, Kerala. This appeal is directed against the order of the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Kerala dated 17.12.2015, granting Environmental Clearance (EC) to the District Collector, Kannur for river sand mining in Valapattanam river (from Parassinikadavu bridge to Valapattanam bridge) in Kannur District.

NGT noted that the Environmental Clearance makes it very clear that the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority, Kerala has considered the project as B category, being below 25 hectares and therefore it should come under B2 category and taking note of the fact that mining is not carried out by mechanised process but only manually the Court sees no illegality in the order of SEIAA, by considering the mining project proposal as B2 category. Thus, there is no question of any EIA or EMP study required.