MADURAI: Officials from the Revenue Department and the Department of Geology and Mining held an inspection and ordered closure of a quarry at Katchirayanpatti, after the residents staged a protest on the Melur NH alleging that waterbodies in the area were polluted by the quarries.
Over 500 residents of K Pudur and other villages coming under Katchirayanpatti Panchayat in Kottampatti block blocked the NH carrying empty pots. They demanded authorities to shut down the quarries operating in Katchirayanpatti, alleging natural springs and farm lands were affected by dust from the quarries.
As traffic was affected due to the protest for more than two hours, officials came to the spot, and assured them to close the quarries temporarily.
Subsequently, a team conducted a drone survey to find out if the allegations were true.
A senior official in the revenue department told TNIE that during the inspection, officials found that the quarry had dumped waste in water channels and had allegedly encroached upon a burial ground. Following this, officials of the Department of Geology and Mining ordered the quarry to shut down temporarily. TNIE had published reports on the issue on March 15 and April 26, 2026 respectively.