VELLORE: Residents of V C Mottur village here have sought police help to trace 48 wells in the Palar riverbed near Vannivedu, which were reported missing. The district administration had obtained permission in August 2014 from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Tamil Nadu, on the claim that there was no well at the designated site proposed for sand quarrying.
The villagers submitted a petition to the Walajapet Tahsildar, Commissioner and chairperson of the Walajapet Municipality as well in this regard. The SEIAA had issued environmental clearance for the quarry between 241.75 km and 241.90 km at survey number 835 (P) of Vannivedu village in Upper Palar Basin in Walajapet Taluk.
There were 48 wells, located in the area under survey number 835 in the riverbed, which were the source of drinking water for three Municipalities (Arcot, Walajapet and Arni) and over 10 village panchayats in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts.
Apart from this, the Vannivedu Reserve Forest, spread over 24 hectares, in Arcot Range was also located in this region along the riverbed.
“It is shocking to learn that the officials had obtained environment clearance from SEIAA, stating that there is no forest land and water source in the proposed site for quarry,” said K Rathinam of V C Mottur. He added that the wells had been sunk by the government by spending over `30 crore.
Officials in the Forest Department said the mining activity would have an adverse impact on the bio-diversity of the Vannivedu Reserve Forest, which is located adjacent to the quarry site. “We have not received any communication from the PWD or the district administration as yet. The SEIAA would have given the clearance without knowing the presence of Reserve Forest on the riverbed,” said a forest official. “Once the quarry is opened, there is no stopping the mining activities,” said social activist K Kumar.
The complainants charged that the officials had become puppets in the hands of the sand mafia.“The riverbed is being exploited for years now. If it continues, the drought-hit Vellore district would turn into a desert,” added Kumar.