Penury Stares 1500 Families as English Indian Clays Down Shutters

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The future of 1,500 families has become uncertain as English Indian Clays (EICL) faces difficulties in its operations, owing to the unavailability of clay, and non-clearances “For the last two years, we have been facing the shortage of clay, and that resulted in the sudden closure of our production units,” said Mahesh S, Deputy General Manager, Operations, English Indian Clays, in a press statement.

Though applications were submitted to different departments concerned for permission for mining on July 15, 2019, no action has been taken so far. EICL informed that under these circumstances the company cannot move forward and is being forced to close operations indefinitely.

The management of the EICL closed down its factories in Kochu Veli and Thonnakkal on August 10. The company has been running on loss for the past two years. However, considering the hardship of the 1500 workers and their families, the company has been operating making use of its clay stock.

However, with the declaration of the lockdown, in the wake of Covid-19 and the resultant very grim situation, the company incurred more loss. Mahesh said that due to shortage of the raw material and the non-clearance, the company was forced to close operations.

EICL mines clay in the non-blasting mode. Moreover, it converts the areas from where clay is mined, into pits for rainwater harvesting to increase the ground water level. After completing mining in Pallippuram, being a responsible mining company EICL has restored the area into its original form and then concluded operations there. The mines in Thonnakkal are in company’s own areas.

EICL has been functioning for the past 50 years with social commitment. Each year the company has been implementing social welfare schemes worth Rs 1 crore in the areas nearby to the company. Even when EICL was running on loss, it continued to distribute scholarships to students, help fund road construction and provide aid for health centers, for the construction and revival of anganwadis, drinking water distribution, construction of overhead tanks and setting up high-mast lamps.

Even when the company did not function during the lockdown, allowances were given to the employees as aid. The management has informed the employees that in the heavily loss-making circumstances, it was difficult for the company to go for salary revision and increase allowances and they should understand the constraints of the management in this regard. The management is trying hard to resume functioning by securing various permissions from the government departments. The management representatives will meet the Chief Minister and the Industries Minister soon to petition them in this regard.