TENKASI: Requesting the district administration to stop brick kiln owners from illegally lifting topsoil from Chinnavudaiperi tank, CPI councillors led by party district secretary T Esakkidurai petitioned district collector Durai Ravichandran and Muthalvarin Mugavari (CM cell).
"The brick kiln owners are lifting soil from the tank for commercial purposes in the name of farmers in more than 200 vehicles daily. CPI councillors had staged a sit-in protest during the council meeting, however, the local body administration and officials of mines and mineral department are remaining mute spectators on the soil theft," said Esakkidurai, adding that the soil is being lifted from July 20.
He further said the residents of Sivagiri town panchayat are struggling to fulfil their drinking water needs. "Three wells of Sivagiri town are located in Chinnavudaiperi tank. If the soil theft is not stopped, we will stage a road blockade soon," read the petition.
Apart from CPI, the NTK cadre also staged a protest against the alleged soil theft by brick kiln owners. MDMK IT wing functionary S Karthigeyan said a few Sivagiri brick kilns are illegally functioning in the Eco-Sensitive Area of Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary. "There have been court cases against violations of the brick kilns. Without taking it into consideration, officials have allowed them to lift soil from the tank. Even though we caught the brick kilns using fake permit passes, officials are not taking any action," he alleged.
When contacted by TNIE, collector Durai Ravichandran said commercial passes for 500 load consignments were issued by Mines department officials for lifting the topsoil, as there was no sediment, to deepen the tank. "The mines department allowed only 500 loads of soil to be lifted. The soil can be used for road works, but brick kilns cannot use it," he said.