An expert committee led by Assistant Collector S. Mohanapriya is investigating complaints about dredging in the Korapuzha river. Locals and political parties say sand is being taken illegally and sludge is dumped unsafely nearby. The committee includes an executive engineer from the Irrigation department, the tehsildar, and geology officials. They must submit their report by February 21. Meanwhile, dredging is stopped. The Irrigation department began dredging in 2022 between the Korapuzha estuary and the railway bridge. Their goal is to remove about two lakh cubic metres of soil, which blocks fishing boats and causes floods. Sediment buildup also reduces water flow. The work covers 1,600 metres in length, 100 to 140 metres in width, and 3.5 metres in depth from sea level. Residents claim sand is taken indiscriminately and sludge is dumped nearby. They report dropping water levels in wells and salty water in some sources. Dredging paused during the monsoon but restarted, triggering complaints. Following this, Forest and Wildlife Minister and local MLA A. K. Saseendran and District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh met to discuss the issue.