Plea complains about indiscriminate quarrying in Kalligudi

A farmer has filed a public interest litigation petition before Madurai Bench of Madras High Court seeking protection of life, environment, water resources and agricultural lands of villages surrounding Kallanai in Kalligudi taluk in Madurai district.

A Division Bench of Justices G. Jayachandran and K.K. Ramakrishnan ordered notice to the authorities on the petition filed by R. Subramaniyan of Kallanai. The petitioner complained about illegal quarrying activities that affected the villages.

He said stone crushers and blue metal quarries were functioning without valid lease, beyond the permitted depth, after expiry of the lease period and without obtaining mandatory environmental clearance.

They were operating in gross and wilful violation of Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959, Mines Act, 1952, and other applicable statutory provisions, causing serious environmental damage, depletion of groundwater resources and destruction of fertile agricultural lands in the affected villages, he said.

In cases where limited permissions had been granted, quarrying operations were being carried out beyond the permitted depth and lease area. High-intensity explosives were being used in a reckless and indiscriminate manner, and in complete disregard of statutory safety norms, he said.

Such hazardous blasting of rocks posed a grave and imminent threat to life, property and safety of villagers. The use of powerful explosives to break stones and rocks had resulted in large rock fragments being hurled far outside the quarry boundaries causing damage to nearby agricultural lands and the workers. The continued conduct of such dangerous activities had created a constant atmosphere of fear and had rendered the area unsafe for habitation and cultivation, he said.