Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO) has suspended the licence of SSPR Traders following an explosion at its godown near Kariyapatti, which led to the death of three persons on May 1.
Meanwhile the district administration has suspended quarrying at its associates’ stone quarry unit.
The blast outside an explosive storage unit claimed the lives of three men while they were unloading high explosives from two vans parked near the unit.
Aviyoor police station booked four persons, including the licence-holder of the explosive godown, Rajkumar and his three partners, for negligent handling of explosive substances, for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and under the provisions of the Indian Explosives Act.
Consequently, the Joint Chief Controller of Explosives, Chennai, who was the licensing authority suspended the unit’s licence on May 2.
The district administration inspected the controversial RSR Blue Metal quarry, which was in operation adjacent to the explosives godown. Villagers of D. Kadambankulam had been complaining for the last few months about violations in the quarry.
They complained that usage of high explosives led to cracks in the walls and asbestos roof of their houses located some 250 metres away from the quarry. They alleged that rash driving of the trucks carrying stones from the quarry posed a danger to road users.
Inspection by officials after the blast revealed violations of rules by the quarry. Based on a report that the quarry had not followed the mines plan, Collector V.P. Jeyaseelan, suspended the licence of the quarry on Saturday.
Officials of the Department of Mines continued their inspection of other quarries in the district also.
The inspection found four other quarries had violated the established law and mines rules. The Collector ordered suspension of the licence for two months for the quarries owned by M. Karthikraj at Duraisamypuram in Sivakasi Taluk, S. Radhakrishnan in Nadikudi under Vembakottai taluk, S. Sakthimurugesan at Erichanatham in Sivakasi taluk and Pothiraj at Tirumalaipuram in Aruppukottai taluk
The Collector said all the quarries in the district would be inspected by the officials. The licence-holders should comply with the rules and regulations and cooperate with the inspection team by handing over all the records of their quarries.
The violators would face action under Tamil Nadu Minor Minerals Conession Rules including imposition of fine amount and cancellation of quarry license, the Collector warned.
