COIMBATORE: The district administration of Coimbatore has submitted a report to the southern zone of the National Green Tribunal that owners of illegal brick kilns in the Thadagam valley have started paying penalties to the geology and mining department.
According to sources, the commissioner of geology and mining on December 19, 2022, imposed a total fine of Rs 13.10 crore on 164 brick chamber owners. In his report sent to the NGT on April 14, collector Kranthi Kumar Pati said 77 brick chamber owners paid Rs 6.30 crore as penalty, 61 owners paid Rs 1.82 crore out of Rs 5.53 crore and 26 owners are yet to pay up.
Further, Pati stated that out of 77 owners who paid full penalty have submitted bank guarantee for Rs 8.32 crore to remove bricks that are stocked in their kilns, adding the district administration has taken care to ensure only baked bricks are moved out of the chambers.
“The district collector on March 27 issued an order allowing removal of stored bricks. The NGT directed baked bricks should be moved out within four weeks. But bricks continue to be transported from chambers even now which is a violation of the NGT order,” said S Ganesh, who filed a petition against illegal brick kilns in the valley.
V Sasikumar, assistant director of geology and mining department, said, “Owners can remove baked bricks after paying penalty. Some of them are now making the payment and started removing of baked bricks. There is no violation of the rule.”