CHENNAI: Natural Resources Minister T K Prabhu informed the Assembly on Tuesday that indiscriminate mining and illegal quarrying for m-sand and other construction aggregates have flattened around 10 hills and hillocks across Tamil Nadu, most of which are nearly 320 crore years old.
During the discussion on the demands for grants for his department, Prabhu said, “We have all searched for missing persons at some point in our lives. We may have to search for the hills that have disappeared from our state.”
He said the vanished hills were ancient geological formations that existed even before the emergence of humans. Of the 10 hills and hillocks that have been extensively quarried, three are in Perambalur district, two each in Madurai and Coimbatore districts, and one each in Tirupattur, Ranipet, and Tenkasi districts. He said a significant number of them were destroyed after 2021.
The minister said the increasing dependence on m-sand had contributed to the destruction of hills and hillocks. He also said strict action was being taken against illegal quarrying and mineral smuggling. In Tenkasi district, 250 vehicles involved in unauthorised transportation of minerals had been seized. Violations were detected in 499 quarries and penalties amounting to Rs 500 crore had been imposed on 309 quarries.
Prabhu said the government would adopt a multi-pronged approach to address the shortage of construction aggregates. “Limestone mining leases at 22 locations in Ariyalur, Perambalur and Tiruchy districts were recently awarded, generating Rs 22.71 crore in revenue. The state is expected to earn up to Rs 4,500 crore in royalty from these mining units,” he added.
Announcements
An integrated digital mineral management portal will be developed to enable end-to-end digitisation of mining activities
A dedicated mining control room will be established to monitor mining operations
Drones and satellite-based systems will be deployed to monitor quarries and detect illegal mineral extraction
The Tamil Nadu Mineral Resources Development Corporation Limited will be established to undertake mineral extraction, import minerals, and make other investments in the sector