Special teams led by State Revenue Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi began inspecting various beach mining quarries along the coastline in Tirunelveli district on Thursday.
The teams started an on-the-spot assessment on different stretches to ascertain whether mining activities were carried out beyond leased areas.
The Revenue Secretary, who arrived here on Wednesday evening, said inspections were scheduled to be held on October 17, 18 and 19. During this schedule, inspections would be made in 52 quarries at 22 different locations.
Fifteen teams comprising 128 officials were involved in the inspection.
Each team consisted of a revenue official, surveyor, officials from the Department of Mines and Minerals and from TN Pollution Control Board. During the schedule, the Revenue Secretary was accompanied by Collector C. Samayamoorthy.
Initially, the teams inspected the quarries at three spots including Kuttam, five places at Karaichuthu Uvari, two locations at Karaichuthu Pudur besides Levengipuram, Irrukan Durai, Chettikulam, Kudankulam, Vijayapathi and Thiruvembalapuram.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had constituted the special teams to take stock of illegal mining activities executed along the coastline.
The move came following grievances lodged by fishermen about indiscriminate mining initially at Periyathaalai and other coasts in Vilathikulam in Tuticorin district at meetings convened by former Tuticorin Collector Ashish Kumar.
Responding to the grievances, he ordered the officials concerned to inspect Vaipar, Vembar, Periyasamipuram and its surroundings in Vilathikulam taluk in August.
After the inspection, he allegedly found illegal mining operations.
It prompted the Chief Minister to constitute special teams, which earlier conducted inspections in two phases at six different locations along coastline in Tuticorin district during August.
