COIMBATORE: Farmers in Kinathukadavu complain that roads in the taluk are damaged due to the passing of 12 -16 wheeler trucks carrying up to 60 tonnes of minerals, especially gravel from stone quarries in violation of norms. They alleged that officials do not respond to their complaints regarding gravel smuggling or overloading of trucks.
K Sivaprakash, a farmer, said, “On Sunday, we detained a 12-wheel truck bearing Kerala registration number that was carrying gravel from a stone quarry from No 10 Muthur. No one visited the village despite our calls. The tahsildar did not attend our calls. The VAO refused to come to the spot. The police inspector of Kinathukadavu asked us to contact the assistant director of geology and mines department instead of him. The assistant director of the mines department did not attend our calls. Having no option, we released the truck as no officials came here.”
People from No 10 Muthur said they are the worst hit as the road from Pottaiyandipurambu to the village is badly damaged for 2.5 km due to operation of heavy-duty trucks carrying minerals to Kerala. P Muruganandham, a farmer, said, “As per the rural development’s norm, no vehicle should be allowed to carry more than eight tonnes of load on panchayat roads. Due to operation of heavy-duty trucks in the villages, the bitumen road, which was laid in 2021, looks like a mud road. Due to damage of the road, school vans are not operated on the road.”
Sources said roads of Sokkanur, Nayakkanur, Kannamanaickanur, Veerapagoundanoor, Vadapudur, Kallapuram, Sattakalpudur, Muthugoundanoor, Kanalpudur, Senniyur and Nachipalayam are found damaged as the villages have minimum of three stone quarries. When contacted, N Muthupandi, inspector of Kinathukadavu, said he was engaged in another work in the area, and could not visit the place when the truck was detained. VAO P Kumar said he was not well and tahsildar G Sivakumar said he did not receive any call.
“We are taking action against overloading of trucks periodically. Last month we took action against four trucks. To relay the road to No 10 Muthur, a fund was sanctioned,” said Tahsildar. Assistant Director of Geology and Mines Department V Sasikumar said he always responds to farmers’ grievances and will look into the issue. Project Director of District Rural Development Malarvizhi said, “I willd direct the Block Development Officer to look into the issue immediately.”