Residents of Ellampalayam and villages nearby demanded that the district administration should take action against a quarry functioning in their area.
The villagers alleged that the quarry indulged in indiscriminate mining. Groundwater level had been affected and it had caused significant air and water pollution in the area.
The villagers said that over five crushers were being operated in the area round the clock. Due to lack of sufficient water, agriculture had severely been affected.
P.Ramesh of the village said that the quarry had been functioning there for over 10 years and the problems intensified only in the last couple of years. Due to shortage of river sand for construction, intensive mining was done in the area to meet demands for M-Sand and P-Sand.
The villagers alleged that because of the use of explosives beyond permissible limit, cracks had appeared in their houses. “The dust from the quarry spreads over the crops. Despite holding talks with quarry operators, there has not been any change in their approach. There are houses within 300 m of the quarry,” the villager said.
The villagers demanded that the district administration must take remedial measures.