Residents protest illegal sand mining

The residents of Kandaneri, a village in Vellore district, have been knocking on the doors of the district administration to stop the unauthorised mining of sand from the Palar River basin.

With the district administration reportedly displaying a nonchalant attitude, a Public Interest Litigation with the help of Satta Panchayat was filed against sand mining, in Madras High Court against the sand mining.

But instead of putting a check on unauthorised mining more truck loads of sand are being transported complained the residents of Kandaneri village.

The members of Satta Panchayat made a video presentation of the illegal sand mining being carried out at the Palar basin, at a press conference held in the city on Wednesday.

S. Gowri, a resident of the Kandaneri village, said all district authorities, from the Collector to various levels of revenue officials, had been petitioned but no steps had been taken to stop sand mining.

Siva Elango, president, Satta Panchayat, said the villagers of Kandaneri were afraid the Palar basin would vanish in a few months, resulting in a setback to agricultural activities; they also expressed concern that they would be robbed of precious drinking water resource.