CUDDALORE: Residents of Athiyanallur near Chidambaram staged a protest on Friday, demanding the closure of a private sand quarry operating in their area.
A private clay sand quarry has been functioning in Athiyanallur, Cuddalore district, drawing strong opposition from locals who allege it is threatening their livelihood. M Ramesh (40), a daily wage worker, climbed an electric pole with a petrol can on Thursday and threatened to end his life in protest against the quarry’s operations. Police rushed to the spot, pacified him, and brought him down safely before registering a case and letting him off with a warning.
Undeterred, residents intensified their agitation on Friday morning as lorries continued to transport sand from the quarry. Over a hundred people gathered at the site, surrounded the quarry, and staged a protest demanding an immediate halt to sand extraction. Officials from the Bhuvanagiri taluk office and personnel from the Puduchathiram police station arrived at the scene and initiated talks with the demonstrators.
During discussions, the protestors demanded that the Cuddalore district collector revoke the quarry’s permit. They also warned that their agitation would continue until the quarry’s licence was cancelled. As a mark of their determination, the villagers set up a makeshift kitchen at the protest site and continued their demonstration.
By evening, officials assured the residents that the matter would be taken up with the district administration. Based on this assurance, the villagers withdrew their protest and dispersed.