4 months ago
2
Environmental activists person alleged that Illegal soil mining is rampant astatine assorted places connected Cauvery and Amaravati Rivers successful Karur district.
Ever since the Enforcement Directorate carried retired simultaneous searches astatine assorted soil quarries successful September 2023, nary ineligible quarries are functioning successful the district. After the ED searches, the Water Resources Department closed its soil quarries astatine Nanniyur and Mallampalayam. However, it is alleged that amerciable mining is going connected astatine respective places connected the riverbed of the Cauvery and the Amaravathi.
Till a twelvemonth ago, amerciable soil mining was taking spot betwixt 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Now, they excavation soil and smuggle it to assorted places specified arsenic Namakkal, Salem, Karur, Coimbatore, Tiruppur and different areas of the State circular the clock, the environmentalists claim.
Before the ED’s search, the WRD operated lone 2 quarries successful Karur district. Now, amerciable soil mining is going connected astatine 30 places connected the riverbeds of the 2 rivers. Mettupalayam, Kadambankurichi, Kalipalayam, Vangal, Mallampalayam, Nerur, Vadapagam, Thenpagam, Pudupalayam, Aranganathanpettai, Thirumukkudalur, Thottakurichi, Manmangalam, Amaravathi, Somur, Koyampalli, Thirumanilaiyur, Sukkaliyur, Sellandipalayam and Chinnandankoil are among the places, wherever amerciable soil mining is allegedly taking place. While world movers are engaged to excavation soil from the riverbed, high-powered tipper trucks are utilized to transport the soil to the riverbank areas, wherever the soil is stocked. Lorries subsequently transport it to assorted districts.
“The standard of blatant smuggling of soil from amerciable quarries is caput boggling. It is taking spot time and nighttime without fear. No 1 seems to beryllium bothered astir instrumentality enforcers. We person presented petitions to the Collector, Superintendent of Police, WRD and gross officials on with video proof. But it is concern arsenic accustomed for the smugglers. It is disheartening,” says R.S. Mugulan, coordinator, Cauvery Protection Movement.
There are instances of locals and biology activists handing implicit video footage and photographs of lorries utilized for the amerciable activity, on with the longitude and latitude, to authorities. However, the looting of the earthy wealthiness continues unabated, the activists further say.
“The amerciable soil miners excavate soil nether the recently constructed span betwixt Unniyur and Nerur. No 1 has bothered to halt it successful spite of handing implicit video clips of the unsafe activities,” says S. Vijayan, a nonmigratory of Thavittupalayam.
Mr. Mugilan says the officials should instrumentality indispensable steps to safeguard the rivers from the soil smugglers
When contacted, a elder authoritative of WRD told The Hindu that the section had received a fig of complaints of amerciable soil mining astatine 7 places successful the district. Barricades had been acceptable up astatine each susceptible places to contradict introduction to lorries and earthmovers to the riverbed areas.
Similarly, the paths starring to the amerciable quarries connected the riverbed were closed by establishing heavy trenches. However, they had been vandalised astatine a fewer places. The instances of soil mining had been taken to the announcement of police, and complaints were lodged. More steps would beryllium taken to forestall lorries entering the riverbed, helium said.
