Tractors meant for agricultural purposes are widely used to transport bricks and red earth mined illegally in Thadagam Valley, activists fighting against illegal operation of brick kilns here alleged.
On Tuesday, a tractor rammed the compound wall of the Government Boys Higher Secondary School at Chinna Thadagam around 11.45 a.m. Students who were playing in the ground ran away in panic as nearly 20 feet of the wall collapsed. It is alleged that the tractor driver was on duty for a brick unit.
S. Ganesh from Thadagam, who is involved in a legal battle against illegal operations of brick kilns in the valley, alleged that the tractor involved in the accident belonged to a policeman, who along with his brother working in Tamil Nadu Prison Department, runs a unit making unbaked bricks. The Central Government’s ‘Vahan’ e-services shows the vehicle listed under the class ‘agricultural tractor’ and Senthil Kumar A. as its owner.
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“In November, the district administration had served notices on 141 unauthorised brick kilns and directed to stop production. The same month, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board also served notices on brick kilns as they had not obtained operational permit. Recently, the Local Planning Authority too said in a reply under the Right to Information Act that it had not given permission to any units, which is mandatory to get electricity connection. Now the accident attests that tractors meant for agricultural purposes are also used for transporting bricks,” Ganesh said.
Environmental activist K. Mohanraj alleged that various relaxations were allowed for tractors meant for agricultural purposes.
He said that Thadagam T.M.S. Rajendran had petitioned K. Kumaravel, Regional Transport Officer, Coimbatore North, two months ago highlighting the use of tractors meant for agricultural purposes in various stages of brick making.
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Mr. Kumaravel said that the Road Transport Authority was conducting checks to prevent commercial or industrial use of such tractors. He added that a meeting of tractor owners was planned to instruct them on rules to be followed.
When contacted, the headmaster of the school said that the person who transported the bricks had promised to repair the damaged wall in a few days, a condition which was accepted by higher officials of the Education Department in the district. Thadagam sub-inspector Pon Rajesh said that the police did not receive any complaint from the school authorities regarding the incident.