MADURAI
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday called for a report on measures taken to regulate sand quarrying while hearing a plea against the activity in Pavanamangalam in Thanjavur district.
A division bench of Justices D. Krishnakumar and R. Suresh Kumar posted the case for further hearing to May 25.
The petitioner, T. Balaganeshan of Thanjavur, said villagers in the area, who were dependent on groundwater for irrigation, were now facing water scarcity. Water flow in the Cauvery and occasional rainfall alone helped replenish groundwater level. He claimed that officials of the Public Works and Geology and Mines departments had earmarked certain parts of the village for sand quarrying even though the public opposed the move. No action was taken to restrain quarrying operations, he said.
The petitioner claimed that quarrying was done within 300 metres from the Cauvery combined drinking water scheme and within 100 metres from public borewells. Since the sand quarry was near borewells, fields and main roads, quarrying must be stopped in public interest, he said.
