THOOTHUKUDI: Alleging that a private stone quarry functioning in the village is causing cracks in the walls, Nedunkulam villagers staged a protest, seeking that the quarry be closed permanently.
The residents of Nedunkulam, near Sathankulam, hoisted black flags atop their houses and resorted to protests at the government offices complex in the village here on Wednesday.
The villagers also covered their eyes with black ribbon and demanded immediate closure of the quarry. The villagers claimed that the stone quarry function near their houses, and the explosives used for blasting rocks causes tremors and lead to cracks in the walls. There is also a panchayat union middle school near the quarry, they said.
"The quarry is just about 50 feet away from the houses, and it functions in violation of the laws as there is no adequate buffer zone around the quarry and the hamlets. Whenever the quarry operators blast rocks using explosives, houses shake and people feel the tremors," said Madasamy, a resident.
The smell of chemicals released during the blast causes breathing trouble for the villagers, and a thick blanket of smoke suspends over the hamlet, causing allergies, they added.
A mother of a student studying in the middle school said that the chemical smell causes uneasiness to her son, forcing him to skip classes. "It is not the case of one student, but many who suffer from allergies," she added.
At a recent grama sabha meeting, the villagers had anonymously passed a resolution to shut the quarry. However, the district administration had not considered the same, they said. The village is surrounded by four stone quarries, causing trouble for the people.
Following the agitation, the Sathankulam police and tahsildar visited the village and assured them to take the issues to the notice of higher officials.
If the stone quarry is not closed, an indefinite protest will be launched until the quarry is shut, the villagers said.