Copyright thehindu
A section of the people from Kallanai, Achankulam and Thoombakulam Pudur in Kalligudi taluk jointly submitted a petition with the district administration here on Monday against grant of any further permissions to operate stone quarries and crusher units in their villages. Udhaya, one of the petitioners, said the villages were mostly surrounded by quarry sites and crusher units. “While our predominant livelihood source is agriculture and livestock, we have already lost most of our fields and natural resources to these quarry units,” he added. Almost all the 1,000 families residing in the villages had been dependent on agriculture for several years, and about 175 acres were fed by tank irrigation and the remaining 50 acres depended on well irrigation, he noted. Due to rampant, unregulated quarry operations such as night drillings, uncontrolled explosion of rocks, transport of heavy vehicles through village roads, the villagers were already subjected to severe health problems like asthma and high blood pressure, he stated. “As dust from the quarries is directly getting into our drinking water sources, children are suffering from irreversible health conditions. We even fear that the recent childbirths with deformities are caused due to the pollution from these units,” Mr. Udhaya observed. While officials tried to allay the villagers’ fear by conducting some studies in their areas, the villagers alleged that it was just another way to deceive the public and help the quarry owners build their businesses. The currently operating mines were being operated in violation of several mining laws, the petitioners said. “In addition, they are planning to permit quarry operations even near our villages. As we are already against the existing quarries, we strongly object to the district administration’s plan to provide another permission to a new quarry,” the villagers added.
