TENKASI: In a bid to curb violations of mining norms, Former Tenkasi and Ambasamudram MLA Raviarunan demanded the State government on Sunday to make the renewal of stone quarry licences mandatory every year. In the petition to Chief Minister M K Stalin, Raviarunan said the stone quarries were violating mining department norms without any fear in the present five-year licensing system, adding it has failed to address lack of inspections.
"The officials, who are hand-in-glove with the stone quarry owners, were not conducting inspections in the quarries throughout the five years. This is why the special teams which was formed to inspect the stone quarries after the Adaimithippankulam accident, which claimed four lives, found large-scale violations in all 55 stone quarries in the district. Hence, the government should ask the quarries to renew the licence annually after a thorough inspection by the officials," the petition read.
Citing the stone quarries' unauthorized usage of high-power explosives to break the rocks, Raviarunan urged the State government to ensure the 'illegal' explosives should not reach hands of terrorist organisations. "Stone quarries are receiving such explosives regularly to dig pits more than 300-ft, which is against the norms. Children are drowning in these pits as we are not sure of its actual depth. This has also caused cracks on the houses located near the quarries," he added.