Nature lovers and environmental activists have intensified their fight against the indiscriminate quarrying of sand and stones from a hillock in Chennimalai.
They met the district officials on Wednesday and submitted a detailed petition urging the administration to initiate immediate efforts to put an end to the quarrying activities. They had already formed a movement called Chennimalai Natural Resources Protection Movement to fight against the extensive quarrying.
Movement Co-ordinator K.V. Ponnaiyan, after meeting the officials, said the administration had permitted quarrying in the hillock without taking into account many crucial aspects. The indiscriminate quarrying had affected the local geography in the form of depletion of water resources and devastation of nearby lands and roads.
If the quarrying continued for a few more months, two residential colonies located on the foothill of the hillock, a 110 KV substation and a main canal of the Lower Bhavani project would suffer a huge damage.
The possibilities of landslides had increased due to mindless quarrying in the hillock, Mr. Ponnaiyan said.
Members of the movement wanted the officials to look into the issue and initiate immediate efforts to put an end to the quarrying of sand and stones in Chennimalai. Mr. Ponnaiyan said the officials had assured that they would look into the issue.
“We will continue our fight till the quarrying is stopped at Chennimalai,” members said.
