Madurai | Sept 13, 2017: Illegal sand mining operation has been taking place for years in Trichy, Karur and Thanjavur districts in connivance with officials, an expert committee, formed to inspect the same, told the Madras high court Madurai bench on Tuesday.
Following it, the court extended its interim stay over sand quarry operation from Trichy and Karur on Cauvery river and directed the principal secretary of the public works department to file a counter to the case and adjourned it to September 19.
The court had on August 28 heard a batch of cases including a case filed by president of Cauvery Neervala Athara Pathukappu Sangam, A Sudalaikannu seeking direction to the government to close all sand quarries functioning on Cauvery and Coleroon (Kollidam) river and constituted a committee consisting of advocates R Alagumani and B Saravanan and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University professor, P Ravichandran to inspect the three districts.
On Tuesday, the case came up for hearing before the division bench of justices K K Sasidharan and G R Swaminathan. Filing the report, the committee said it found gross violation in almost all quarries it had inspected.
The report said, "Sand mining activities are taking place violating all norms. Sand has been quarried for more than 100 ft. Roads have been laid inside the river which has helped illegal sand quarrying. But, no official came to complain in that regard."
It also said there is no mechanism to ascertain the veracity of the contents of the application seeking environmental clearance. The state level environment impact assessment authority depends on information given by the government. It is unreasonable to expect that the government would file correct report to the authorities to get clearance.
Besides, due to officials' lack of knowledge about sand mining activities, no procedure was followed in awarding licence to transport sand, the report said.
It also suggested that there should be a scientific study about sand quarry operation and to impose a long term ban on sand mining in the stretches of Kadambankurichi, Thottakurichi, Silaipillaiyarpudur, Manamedu in Cauvery river and entire Kollidam river will be better.
Advocate general Vijay Narayan said unlike in the past, situation has changed and e-booking facility has been introduced for supplying of land. If total ban is imposed on sand mining, the state's projects will get affected, he said. Following it, the court sought response from the PWD.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)