Madurai
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday granted an interim stay against quarrying operations in T. Pudukottai, Sivaganga district.
A Division Bench of Justices M.M.Sundresh and N.Sathish Kumar granted an interim injunction against the quarrying operations in the region. The case has been posted for further hearing.
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The petitioner G. Manimaran in his public interest litigation petition claimed that as his representation seeking an appropriate action against the indiscriminate sand quarrying operation in the region was pending, a battalion of heavy machinery made its way to the region to carry out sand quarry operations even in the last week of August.
He claimed that the quarrying activities had affected the environment in the region. The quarrying, particularly along the Vaigai, had depleted the water level from the river and also depleted the groundwater level in the region. This had led to scarcity of water, he said.
The petitioner added that due to the negative impact of the quarrying operations the Keelaperungarai check-dam, located close to the activities, had weakened considerably. Even after such continuing impact, the operations were still going on. It is unfortunate that the district authorities had not taken appropriate action, he said.
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He claimed that influential people were behind the quarrying operations and they had even gone to the extent of laying a gravel road close to the river illegally for the transport of sand. In the wake of such glaring irregularities, he sought a direction for the grant of stay against the quarrying activities.