COIMBATORE: Farmers of Kinathukadavu taluk have begun a protest movement against stone quarries operating in the area, claiming illegal mining in many places has reduced water levels in borewells and wells across the taluk. Notably, the farmers have been conducting regular meetings for the last three months on this issue.
Esan Murugasamy, founder of Tamil Nadu farmers protection association, said for the last two years some of the quarrying work is being carried out irrationally and huge quantities of stone are being taken to Kerala. “Farmers have been affected due to digging of land beyond the permitted level in villages. We have started a movement to oppose the quarries as the mines department has not responded to our grievances,” he said.
P Muruganandham, a farmer from No 10 Mathur village, said, “In an RTI reply, the district geology and mines department mentioned that licenses were given only to extract stones manually from a 41.99-acre land situated next to my 25-acre farmland. But they have dug up more than 170 feet and are using explosives to break rocks.” He added that water in a nearby well gets drained out soon after monsoon as water passes to the deep quarry.
Meanwhile, K Sivaprakash, a farmer from Pottaiyandipurambu village, said he is not able to carry out farming in his four-acre land from November to June as the water level falls. He stated that village roads are also getting damaged due to heavy-duty trucks that can carry up to 45 tons of stone. The assistant director of geology and mines department was unavailable for comment.