Farmers and residents of Vellalore on Wednesday staged a protest at the Collectorate demanding immediate halt to the mining that is underway at the Vellalore Tank saying that the contractor mining the water body is excavating more earth than the permitted quantity.
In their petition, they said that the contractor had been mining earth for the past three months in the 100-acre tank, selling the same between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 3,000 a ‘lorry load’ and using hundreds of vehicles for the purpose.
He had violated the norms by digging up to 15 – 20 feet, they said and added that he continued to do so despite their repeated complaints to the officials concerned. The response to their complaints had been that the contractor was carrying his operations only within the permitted limits. Their demand was to the officials to inspect the mining work and initiate action against the contractor. And, the Coimbatore Collector should personally monitor the inspection.
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