TENKASI: Alleging that the activities carried out at a stone quarry in Andipatti were affecting their crops and livelihood, farmers from the village submitted a petition to Collector P Akash demanding action against the authorities, at a grievance meeting held on Tuesday.
The petition said, "A 70-feet-deep pit is dug in the quarry using giant borewell machines and high-power explosives are blasted inside it. Because of this, our farm wells and borewells have collapsed. Also, dust from the crusher unit gets deposited on the crops. The Collector should visit the village to witness the violations of the stone quarry."
S Chelladurai, a farmer, urged the State government to disburse the pending insurance claim amount to farmers as soon as possible. Joint Director of Agriculture Tamil Malar said the claim amount was not credited to those farmers who gave wrong bank account numbers. Names of such farmers would be displayed on VAO offices, she added. The Collector requested the farmer association leaders to cascade the message to all farmers who are yet to get their insurance amount.
Farmers from Puliyarai and Kadayanallur alleged that their crops were destroyed by elephants and demanded preventive measures. More than 200 farmers took part at the meeting.