TENKASI: Minister Dr V K Rajeev inspected the Puliyarai checkpost near Tenkasi late on Sunday night and reviewed the movement of mineral-laden trucks heading to Kerala.
More than 500 mineral-laden trucks from southern districts allegedly pass through the checkpost daily via Tirunelveli-Tenkasi and Rajapalayam-Tenkasi roads.
Social activists have alleged that heavy movement affects traffic flow, including ambulances, vehicles carrying essential commodities such as vegetables and milk, and passengers travelling to and from the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
Activists have also alleged that the large number of 18- and 22-wheeled trucks transporting minerals is linked to illegal quarrying. On May 25, Minister for Natural Resources (Minerals and Mines) Dr T K Prabhu held a surprise inspection and ordered the closure of 18 quarries for various violations.
Condemning illegal quarrying, fatal accidents involving mineral trucks, and traffic congestion, members of the Tenkasi Iyarkai Vala Paathugappu Sangam staged a road blockade at Puliyarai on Sunday.
Rajeev was accompanied by the Sangam’s general secretary, S Jameen. The minister also inspected the Puliyarai S-bend, a bottleneck for vehicles travelling between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The government is yet to release the names of the 18 quarries that were shut down for large-scale violations.