3 months ago
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Following unprecedented increasing choler among the nationalist and conservationists against alleged rampant illicit mining of minerals successful the territory good supra the permissible level and transporting it to neighbouring Kerala successful dense vehicles round-the-clock, the Department of Mines has yet yielded to the request for organising a gathering by involving each stakeholders to power this menace to the environment.
The district, lodging 50-odd chromatic quarries, stands witnesser to unlawful mining of minerals including stones, bluish metal, M-sand and quarry particulate and a fewer cases person been filed consequently successful the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court by ‘Iyarkai Vala Paathukaapu Sangam’, an apolitical registered assemblage instituted for warring against the looting of earthy resources. In a bid to get astatine the quantum of amerciable mining done successful these quarries each these years, the Court has directed the officials to usage modern survey techniques including drone survey to find the quantity really mined from the quarries of Tenkasi.
Even arsenic these cases are pending earlier the Court, the continuing unlawful mining and resultant nationalist choler that burst precocious successful the signifier of petrol weaponry onslaught connected a mineral-laden lorry has forced the Department of Mines to organise a gathering to modulate mining and its transportation.
According to the communique from Vinodh, Assistant Director, Department of Mines and Geology, Tenkasi, to each Tahsildars, Regional Transport Officer, Tenkasi, owners of quarries and chromatic crushers and lorry owners’ association, the gathering to beryllium convened astatine the Collectorate connected Monday (February 2) successful the beingness of the District Collector and Superintendent of Police would sermon each complaints received from the nationalist pertaining to mineral mining and proscription and find viable and everlasting solution.
Even though the conservationists are indefinitely demanding strict implementation of regulations for mining of minerals, the violations successful mining and proscription has triggered nationalist anger. The conservationists complaint that the transporters, with the assistance of a fewer weighbridges, are getting fake weighbridge receipts to hoodwink the officials checking overloading of minerals.
The nationalist besides accidental that the caller petrol weaponry onslaught connected a Kerala-bound mineral-laden lorry adjacent Alangulam successful the district, successful which the motortruck operator suffered superior burns, was besides “demonstration of nationalist anger” against the plundering of Tenkasi’s mineral wealthiness by the mafia, who besides severely harm the roads with dense loads beyond the permissible level.
“We judge that it’s an incidental that showcased the nationalist choler against the uncontrolled looting of the district’s mineral wealth,” says M. Peer Khader of Cheranmahadevi, a subordinate of ‘Iyarkai Vala Paathukaapu Sangam’.
The Kanniyakumari territory constabulary precocious registered lawsuit against 115 Kerala-bound dense vehicles for loading minerals supra the permissible level and seized 7 vehicles. Drivers of immoderate of these vehicles being operated via engaged Nagercoil – Thiruvananthapuram Highway were recovered to beryllium intoxicated erstwhile the constabulary checked these vehicles.
“We besides question akin astonishment checks present successful Tenkasi territory arsenic these vehicles are plying betwixt Tenkasi and Kerala via the engaged Kollam Highway,” says S. Jameen, caput of ‘Iyarkai Vala Paathukaapu Sangam’, who has filed cases successful the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court to curb mining violations.
Even though the constabulary introduced timings for cognition of mineral-laden lorries to avert accidents and postulation snarl, these motortruck drivers amusement scant respect for this acquisition by driving overloaded vehicles astatine precocious velocity via engaged roads of Tenkasi district. If the drivers are inactive allowed to thrust vehicles astatine will, we, the members of Iyakkai Vala Paathukaapu Sangam’, volition forcibly halt these vehicles adjacent if it creates instrumentality and bid issues, says K. Ravi Arunan, erstwhile MLA and president of the Sangam.
The motortruck drivers, who scrupulously travel the clip regularisation arsenic agelong arsenic they are successful Kerala, interruption this acquisition erstwhile they participate Tenkasi district.
After G. S. Madhavan assumed bureau arsenic the Superintendent of Police, Tenkasi, recently, helium has initiated sustained enactment against illicit transporting of minerals and overloading of minerals successful the dense trucks.
On acquisition from Mr. Madhavan, the constabulary besides person started slapping good connected the lorries that defy the clip regulation.
The ‘Iyarkai Vala Paathukaappu Sangam’ besides impulse the officials to guarantee the fitting of GPS successful each vehicles carrying minerals arsenic ordered by the Madras High Court which would halt the transporting of minerals successful prohibited hours.
“If quarrying of stones is done to conscionable the section demand, determination is nary accidental for amerciable mining arsenic quarrying would beryllium done responsibly. Since the minerals being transported from Tenkasi to Kerala guarantees humongous gross to the looters, this unlawful concern continues and thrives,” Mr. Ravi Arunan says.
