TIRUNELVELI | February 5, 2016: Condemning the permission granted to a private firm for quarrying granite near Kadamboduvazhvu village in the district, the villagers staged a demonstration at Nanguneri on Thursday, in which representatives of all political parties, except the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, addressed.
Led by former Nanguneri MLA S.V. Krishnan of the Communist Party of India, villagers from more than 10 hamlets under Kadamboduvazhvu, Vadukachimathil and Soorankudi staged a demonstration in front of Nanguneri taluk office on Thursday.
District secretaries K.M.A. Nizam of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Jayabalan of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, K.G. Bhaskaran of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Sundar of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Kalakkad town panchayat president Rajan of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and others spoke at the demonstration.
The speakers warned that the agitation would intensify if the ongoing preliminary works for granite quarrying were not stopped.
When the weekly grievance day meeting was held at the Collectorate, villagers from Kadamboduvazhvu submitted a petition against the permission granted for granite quarrying near their village.
In the petition, Kadamboduvazhvu panchayat president R. Ramakrishnan said that an individual who had purchased 1.46 hectares of land in Kadamboduvazhvu panchayat had commenced preliminary works for mining granite in the land without obtaining permission from the village panchayat. Even though the local body’s permission had not been obtained for mining granite from this land, the Department of Mines had given its nod for it.
“If granite quarrying is started, groundwater table in and around the village will be seriously affected. Moreover, the lands getting water for irrigation from Puliyankulam, Kadamboduvazhvu tank and Alangulam will become barren as granite quarrying in the land will hit storage in these waterbodies. Hence, permission given by the Department of Mines should be withdrawn,” Mr. Ramakrishnan said.
The villagers also charged that explosives to be used in the quarry would damage their houses badly.
“As quarrying activities are actively going on amidst farms where agriculturists had cultivated plantain, it should be stopped immediately. Or else, the farmers’ livelihood will be wiped out completely. If mining activity is not stopped, all political parties will join hands to put an end to it,” Mr. Nizam said.
(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)