The Madras High Court has ordered notice to authorities, including the Public Works Department, to file reply in two weeks on a public interest litigation seeking to restrain them from proceeding with sand mining in Kosasthalai river near Gerugampoondi in Tiruvallur district.
The First Bench of Madras High Court, comprising Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, also called for records from the authorities concerned after hearing a submission on a PIL filed by K. Venkatesan, president of the Vilapakkam panchayat.
In the PIL, Mr. Venkatesan stated that the State government issued licence to the Public Works Department to quarry sand in the Kosasthalai river. Though the PWD was permitted to quarry only over the survey [No.100] which spread across Gerugampoondi, Vilappakkam villages, the quarrying activity covered adjacent villages such as Thirukkanajeri, Arumbakkam, Vembedu and Melsembedu.
The petitioner also said the operations of the PWD were not in conformity with the recommendations of the State Level Monitoring Committee, constituted following an order of the High Court. Due to the indiscriminate quarrying, the water sources were depleted and ground water level had gone down. The quarrying of sand went beyond the permissible level.
Mr. Venkatesan sought an interim injunction restraining authorities from proceeding with sand mining in the disputed area and also sought a direction to State level committee to conduct a survey in the spot.
