Hillock listed as tank in revenue records

Quarrying was allowed near Pancha Pandavar hillock, an archaeological site in Madurai district

U. Sagayam interacts with people at a Jain monument at Keezhavalavu village in Madurai district while assessing the damage caused by granite quarrying. Photo: S. James

The Madras High Court-appointed Legal Commissioner, U. Sagayam, could not understand why the Pancha Pandavar hillock, an archaeological site, has been listed in the revenue records of Madurai district as a water tank in the Keezhavalavu panchayat.

Visiting the granite quarries on the second day on Friday, he was shocked when a revenue official, citing land records, said the particular survey number was classified as a tank, instead of a rock or hillock.

However, part of the hillock that falls under the neighbouring Keezhaiyur panchayat has been mentioned as

karadu or rock.

Similarly, the hillock, which houses Jain stone beds at two locations along with Tamil Brahmi inscriptions dating back to the 2 Century BC, has not been entered in the Prohibitory Order Book (PoB). “Had it [the hillock] been entered in the PoB, no officer could have assigned it for any other purpose,” he said.

Mr. Sagayam asked the officials to verify the older records.

P.V. Dharmalingam, president of the Keezhavalavu panchayat, said officials allowed quarrying of the hillock during 2009-10, and repeated representations to the Collectors failed to stop it.

“Granite in over five of the 56 acres of the hillock [in Keezhavalavu] was quarried, and this endangered the archaeological monument,” he said. However, after the panchayat passed a resolution against quarrying, Thangaraj, a villager, got a stay from the High Court on the permission to quarry.

Locals said the hillock was quarried at Keezhaiyur, too.

Mr. Sagayam wondered why the consent of the locals was not sought before quarrying was allowed in their village. The decision to quarry was not conveyed to the public through ‘tom-tom,’ a revenue official said.

He sought the files on ‘no-objection’ obtained from the local panchayat and its residents before quarrying was allowed.

Mr. Thangaraj said several irrigation tanks were destroyed or quarry waste was dumped in them under the pretext of temporary permission from PWD officials for stocking up granite blocks.

An official of the Archaeological Department could not give any reply when Mr. Sagayam sought details of the action taken against those who had vandalised the historical monument.