Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman on Friday said that he will organise a Statewide protest if the State government fails to stop the smuggling of rocks, rock powder, gravel stones, sand and production of manufactured sand to Kerala. He said quarrying was causing destruction of mountains that form a part of the Western Ghats in Kanniyakumari district.
In a statement, Mr. Seeman said that the State government should take cognisance of the issue immediately and intervene to stop the exploitation of natural resources. “We will organise a State-wide protest if the State Government fails to stop this,” he said.
These mountains are instrumental in bringing rains due to the winds from the Arabian Sea. “But the quarries operating at the base of these mountains will affect the rains, reduce the ground water table, disturb the ecosystem, affect agriculture and cause several breathing diseases. The mountain is being broken down piece by piece by big businessmen. This would destroy the entire mountain,” he said.
Mr. Seeman said that regions such as Aaralvaimozhi, Sungankadai, Chithirangodu, Surulakodu, Ayakkodu, Kulasekaram and Arumanai are witnessing more than 600 heavy vehicles being used to transfer the natural resources out.
“In the last two months alone, there have been efforts to smuggle the natural resources and police have seized thousands of vehicles and levied a total fine of ₹40 lakh. Despite all this, political interference, official sanction and profiteering are the reasons why this is continuing. Nine times the number of vehicles have been used than what has been legally allowed to transfer these resources,” he said.
