Farmers have complained that there was rampant sand mining beyond the permitted level at the government-run quarry on the Palar riverbed at Kandaneri and Kavanur villages.
N.S. Duraiswamy, a farmer, said that sand mining was permitted for one metre depth on an area measuring 800 metres long and 120 metres wide on the Palar riverbed in the two villages of Kandaneri and Kavanur.
Mining of 33,922 units of sand has been permitted in this quarry that is run by the Public Works Department. The quarry was permitted to operate from June 15, 2015 to June 14, 2016.
“They have already dug up sand for 15 feet in violation of rules. But now, the quarry period has been extended till December 14, 2016 as the operators claimed that only 12,812 units out of the permitted 33,922 units of sand has been mined,” he said.
Raising the issue of indiscriminate sand mining at the farmers grievance redressal meeting on Friday, the farmer said that sand was loaded and transported in at least 1,000 tractors every day. “Each of these tractors carried 10 to 15 loads of sand each day. This is the magnitude of quarrying activity here. Sand has been quarried beyond the permitted level,” he said.
He added that the same situation had earlier prevailed at the quarry at Chinnathottalam and Periyathottalam villages. “We are now witnessing the effect of the quarry as water is stagnating for 15 feet on the riverbed at Chinnathottalam,” he pointed out.
The farmer claimed that the Public Works Department was not properly issuing bills at the Kandaneri-Kavanur quarry. “The quarry operator should erect stones around the permitted site. This is to demarcate the quarrying area. But no stone was put in place nor any area marked. They have gone beyond the permitted area of quarrying,” he said.
Even villagers of Kandaneri, Kavanur and neighbouring Kazhanipakkam said that sand mining was rampant here. “Tractors ply to and from the site throughout the day. Quarrying is done even at night. In some places, the sand has been dug up even for 20 feet,” a villager of Kazhanipakkam noted.
He added that ancient stone pillars were found in the riverbed earlier this month at a depth of 15 feet. “This is the extent of quarrying activity here,” he noted.
Mr. Duraiswamy urged the Collector to inspect the quarry to check on the indiscriminate quarrying activity. He demanded that the quarry should be closed.
