Even as the National Green Tribunal is expected to hear the progress made so far in the desilting of Srivaikundam dam amidst allegations against Public Works Department (PWD) officials of facilitating plundering of mineral, more than 300 loads of sand was taken from the dam on Tuesday alone.
As desilting was not started from the dam and instead it was started from far off spots marked under part 2 and 3 areas, farmers and political parties alleged that this sort of desilting would only help sand mafia.
Traders down shutters
When the protestors’ demand for starting desilting from the dam went unheeded, traders of Srivaikundam downed shutters of their business establishments even as the political parties and the farmers organised a joint hunger strike.
With no other option left, the PWD officials finally began desilting work near the dam on September 28, but the removal of silt was going on in a sluggish pace even as the northeast monsoon is about to start within two weeks. Hence, representatives of various political parties and farmers’ organisations have decided to resume their agitation led by veteran CPI leader R. Nallakannu.
Moreover, the protest committee has also resolved to present its case in the NGT through Mr. Nallakannu.
Meanwhile, 100 tipper lorries were used on Tuesday to take the sand removed from the dam to the depot at Gangaikondan near Tirunelveli and more than 300 loads of sand were sent to the depot.
Even as sand was being taken from the dam instead of silt as directed by the NGT, the PWD officials had created “fake records” that only clay deposited in the reservoir had been removed, the farmers alleged.
However, the PWD officials denied it, saying that only 30 per cent sand had been removed while 70 per cent of the mineral removed from the dam was only silt and clay.
