The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the State government to constitute a monitoring committee to check illegal sand mining and streamline its mining as per government guidelines.
In a statement, its district secretary S. Sridhar said notwithstanding government rules and norms illegal sand mining persisted along the Cauvery and Coleroon rivers in the district every day. Groundwater level was depleting owing to mining of sand from a depth of 10 feet despite a government rule that mining should not take place beyond three feet depth. Claiming that second sale of sand with increased price was continuing, he said this was causing huge revenue loss to the government's exchequer. Opening of additional sand reaches would not only control the sharp increase in the price of sand but also protect sand resource and its mining from one place. The State government, he said, should also take steps to prevent sand smuggling to other states.
Seeking the intervention of the government on this issue, he said a monitoring committee should be constituted to check illegal sand mining besides streamlining its mining. The party had decided to launch a movement to create awareness among people of illegal sand mining in the district and the hazards it could pose.
Two teams would embark on awareness campaigns from Thottiyam and Anbil on August 21 and cover various places in the district, including Musiri, Manachanallur, Lalgudi, Valadi and Mandurai before reaching Tiruchi. The party has planned to stage a demonstration near the Collectorate here on August 23 to urge the government to check illegal sand mining.
