The Sagayam committee should inspect the stone quarry at Azhagapuri in Nilakottai block to check for irregularities, if any, and whether the quarry followed government guidelines, said CPI leader R. Nallakannu.
Inspecting the private quarry here on Sunday, he said the CPI will take up the matter with U. Sagayam, the Madras High Court-appointed Legal Commissioner for further action.
The quarry should be closed immediately as it stalled all livelihood activities of three villages. Agricultural activities, especially floriculture, came to a grinding halt and irrigation tanks were rendered dry owing to depletion of groundwater. Paths connecting these villages had vanished. There was rampant violation of rules in granite quarrying throughout the State. The CPI will intensify its stir if the district administration failed to meet people's demands.
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In the past one week, more than 500 villagers of Azhagapuri, Mallanampatti and Pujaripatti took out a rally, staged demonstration and observed a fast demanding closure of the quarry. Later, they withdrew the protest as officials agreed to stop quarrying and conduct a survey to detect violations, if any, in quarrying.